Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Bangladesh has strongly criticised the proposed establishment of a United Nations human rights office in the country, calling it an attack on Bangladesh’s sovereignty and independence.
Speaking at a protest rally held on Friday (July 25) in front of the north gate of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque, party Secretary General Maulana Manjurul Islam said the initiative is neither a gesture of goodwill nor a genuine effort to improve human rights, but rather an interference in the country’s internal affairs.
He questioned why such a proposal is being pushed only for Bangladesh, noting that neighbouring countries such as India, Pakistan, Bhutan, and Myanmar do not host UN human rights offices. “This move is equal to surrendering our sovereignty,” he said.
Other speakers at the rally accused the interim government of engaging in “a game” with the country’s sovereignty under pressure from Western powers, instead of bringing alleged “fascist actors” to justice. Referring to historical resistance, they warned that no foreign pressure would succeed in undermining Bangladesh’s independence.
The party’s senior joint secretary general, Maulana Baharuddin Zakaria, also criticised what he called the UN’s “selective silence” on global issues. Citing ongoing violence in Gaza, repression in Kashmir, and atrocities against the Rohingya in Myanmar, he questioned the urgency behind establishing a rights office in Bangladesh.
He claimed that religious Bangladeshis would not accept such a presence and described the move as politically motivated. Speakers further argued that the interim administration should not take such significant decisions without consulting political parties.
Commenting on Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus, Maulana Manjurul Islam asked why the UN failed to stop aggression in Gaza despite having a rights office there, alleging the organisation had a history of biased interventions.
The rally also called for the withdrawal of a recent women’s commission report, warning that failure to do so could lead to further protests. Maulana Manjurul Islam criticised the UN’s approach to free speech and religion, arguing that the organisation does not respect religious sensitivities under the pretext of freedom of expression.
MSK/
