Rights body slams Yunus-led Bangladesh government for targeting minorities

NEW DELHI: New Delhi-based rights body-the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) -- on Tuesday condemned the Bangladesh interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus for letting loose the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), the Bangladesh Army and the judiciary to target religious minorities in the country.

Several Islamist groups, with the support of the interim government led by Yunus, staged coordinated demonstrations calling for a nationwide ban on the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) on October 23, the RRAG said.

During one protest in Dhaka, student participants chanted inflammatory slogans and accused the ISKCON members of acting as Indian agents and called for the detention and expulsion of the ISKCON devotees from Bangladesh.

On the same day, the Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh issued a press release repeating the same baseless allegations and demanding ISKCON's ban.

Demonstrations were also held at Baitul Mukarram National Mosque and Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, further amplifying sectarian rhetoric.

RRAG Director Suhas Chakma said, "Disturbingly, Jashimuddin Rahmani, the former leader of the al-Qaeda-linked Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) convicted for his role in the murder of blogger Rajib Haider and other terrorism-related offences, was seen participating in the Baitul Mukarram protest. Rahmani's re-emergence in extremist rallies underscores the support of Dr Yunus' government for the extreme Islamist radical elements." (IANS)

 Also Read: Rights Bodies Call On Yunus To Address Bangladesh's Alarming Security Situation