The Coalition for Human Rights and Democracy in Bangladesh (CHRD Bangladesh) is concerned about the violence caused by the desecration of the Holy Quran in Bangladesh. In Comilla, Noakhali, and Rangpur, the burning of the homes of and places of worship of the Hindu minority community is a grave violation of universal human rights and the freedom of religion. CHRD Bangladesh supports the rights of all religions to practice freely and safely in a free state.
Similarly, the killing of several Muslims in protest of the desecration of the Holy Quran is completely unacceptable. We demand a complete judicial inquiry into the incident. We also call on all political parties in the state to refrain from the politics of mutual blame and to fight for the the truth. Furthermore, we hope to play a responsible role towards all the citizens of Bangladesh.
CHRD Bangladesh believes that the government cannot in any way avoid taking the responsibility of these incidents. There are strong suggestions that these tragic incidents have been instigated for political gains in order to favor the ruling party, in which case this is a shameful demonstration of the utter disregard of human casualties and religious sentiments. The government of Bangladesh must ensure religious and sectarian harmony, not fuel the flames of religious discord for its own gains.
CHRD Bangladesh demands a thorough and fair investigation to identify the culprits and to bring them to justice immediately.
*Statement by The Coaltion for Human Rights & Democracy in Bangladesh (CHRD Bangladesh). www.chrdbangladesh.org
October 19, 2021
