Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN and other International Organizations in Geneva has said that there was no systematic attack on minorities in Bangladesh and Bangladesh reaffirms that every Bangladeshi, regardless of religious identity, has the right to practice respective religion or express views freely.
Ambassador Tareq Md Ariful Islam has said these while giving a statement at the 17th Session of the UN Forum on Minority Issues on Thursday at the Palais des Nations.
"Rather, following the mass uprise in July, the world has witnessed how the entire society of Bangladesh came forward to protect its minorities following our long tradition of communal harmony. Our government led by Prof Yunus enjoys an overwhelming and unprecedented mandate from our people across all faiths," he said.
"The post-August 5 violence in Bangladesh was rooted in political and personal factors, not sectarian. The violence affected people mostly with partisan political affiliations, almost all of them being Muslims and only a few from other religious minority groups," the Ambassador said.
"Bangladesh reaffirms that every Bangladeshi, regardless of religious identity, has the right to practice respective religion or express views freely.
"Ensuring the safety and security of every citizen, including from the minority community, remains the cornerstone of the interim Government of Bangladesh.
"This has been repeatedly reassured to minority religious leaders by our top leadership and proved time and again in the first 100 days of the government. Two advisers have been appointed from the minority communities," the ambassador said.
"Unfortunately, when the people of Bangladesh were setting glorious examples of religious harmony, we observed a flurry of exaggerated, unfounded and fake reports and deliberate spread of misinformation and disinformation by vested quarters regarding minority persecution.
"Sadly, we saw it at this forum too. Many such propaganda bids have been debunked by global media. Our government remains open to welcome foreign journalists to visit Bangladesh to see the ground situations.
"With utter dismay, we note that the arrest of Chinmoy Das has been misconstrued by some speakers, he was actually arrested on specific charges.
"The matter is being dealt with by the court of law. Despite the recent brutal killing of a Muslim lawyer, our government's immediate intervention and support from leaders of all faiths helped maintain calm and avert untoward incidents.
"Our government remains vigilant and will continue to act promptly to maintain religious harmony at any cost and thwart any attempt to undermine rights of minorities," he concluded.
