The government has issued a statement at the UN against the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, spokesperson of Sammilit Sanatani Jagran Jote and principal of Pundarik Dham in Chattogram and the misinterpretation of minority oppression.
On Thursday (November 28), Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the UN, Tarek Md. Ariful Islam, briefed the UN Forum on Minority Issues in Geneva on the steps taken by the government to protect minorities.
This information was given in a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday (November 29).
In the statement, Bangladesh's Permanent Representative to the UN said, "We note with great disappointment that some speakers have misinterpreted the arrest of Chinmoy Das. In fact, he was arrested on specific charges. The case is pending in court. Even after the recent brutal killing of a Muslim lawyer, our government’s prompt intervention and support from leaders of all religions helped maintain peace and avert untoward incidents.’
‘Our government is vigilant and will continue to work immediately to maintain religious harmony at all costs and thwart any attempt to undermine the rights of minorities.’
Explaining the violence that erupted after the fall of the previous Awami League government, Bangladesh’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations said, ‘The violence that broke out in Bangladesh after August 5 was rooted in political and personal reasons, not communal ones. In most cases, that violence affected biased politically loyal people; almost all of them were Muslims and only a few were from other religious minority groups. There was no targeted attack on minorities. Rather, the world witnessed how the entire Bangladesh, following our long tradition of communal harmony, came forward to protect its minorities after the mass upsurge in July. Our government under the leadership of Professor Yunus has received overwhelming and unprecedented support from people of all religions.
Stating that ensuring the security of every citizen, including minority communities, is the mainstay of the interim government of Bangladesh, Tarek Md. Ariful Islam said, ‘Bangladesh reiterates that every Bangladeshi, regardless of religious identity, has the right to practice his or her religion or express his or her opinion freely. This has been repeatedly assured by our top leadership to minority religious leaders and has been proven time and again in the first 100 days of the government. Two advisers have been appointed from minority communities.’
Regarding the spread of fake news on minority oppression, he said in a statement, ‘Unfortunately, when the people of Bangladesh were setting a glorious example of religious harmony, we have noticed exaggerated, baseless and fake news and deliberate misinformation by vested interests about minority oppression. Unfortunately, we have seen this in this forum as well. Many such propaganda have been debunked by the global media. Our government is ready to welcome foreign journalists visiting Bangladesh to see the real situation.