Thirty-seven eminent citizens, including academics and right activists, have denounced and protested at the false and baseless聽 reports being circulated in the Indian media about the persecution of religious minorities in Bangladesh.聽
In a joint statement, they said, 鈥楢 certain quarter is deliberately stirring sectarian tension and spreading exaggerated and false information that religious minority communities in Bangladesh have been facing relentless attacks and persecution, with the intent of achieving their malicious political agenda.鈥�
The statement, issued on Friday by Shamsul Huda, executive director of the Association for Land Reform and Development, noted that these malicious activities were a major obstacle in maintaining and advancing the historic, equal, and mutually respectful relations between the two countries, and urged all parties concerned to refrain from such actions.
It highlighted that Sammilito Sanatani Jagaran Jot, in a recent press release, called for the intervention of the United Nations to protect the Hindu community in Bangladesh, which could not be viewed as an isolated incident, given the context of previous occurrences.
The statement said that there were allegations that a certain quarter was forcing members of religious minority communities from Bangladesh, who were legally entering India with valid passports and visas, to give false statements claiming that they had faced various forms of harassment and persecution in Bangladesh, by confiscating their passports.
The statement pointed out that the prime mastermind behind the unprecedented mass killings during the July-August uprising, now sheltered under Indian government security, was regularly spreading provocative anti-Bangladesh statements, although the Indian government, during the recent visit by its foreign secretary Shri Vikram Misri, claimed that it did not support such statements.
鈥業f that is the case, why are they not taking any action to prevent these objectionable statements from being spread by Sheikh Hasina and her associates in India?鈥� the statement questioned.
Mentioning that the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government had already begun investigations into 88 such attacks and arrested 70 accused individuals, the signatories called for swift investigations into all the allegations of sectarian attacks and bringing the perpetrators to justice.聽
The signatories included former Jahangirnagar University economics professor Anu Muhammad, human rights activist Sultana Kamal, Nijera Kori coordinator Khushi Kabir, Campaign for Popular Education executive director Rasheda K Chowdhury, barrister Sara Hossain, writer and activist Rahnuma Ahmed, and photographer Shahidul Alam.
In another statement on Friday, 53 noted citizens, including journalists and artists, denounced anti-Bangladesh campaigns by a section of Indian media outlets saying that they were actually serving the interests of Indian right-wing extremist ruling party Bharatiya Janata Party, Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported.
