Human rights body files plea against 'harassment' of minorities in Bangladesh

Dhaka, July 14 (IANS) The Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court against the “systemic abuse of false criminal cases used to harass, intimidate, and dispossess Hindus and other minorities” across the country aiming to expose “legal harassment of the Bangladesh’s religious minorities”.

“This upcoming PIL, submitted to the High Court Division of Bangladesh Supreme Court, is not just a legal action — it is a cry for justice in a country where over 3.9 million criminal cases remain pending and where unchecked powers have turned prosecution into persecution,” read a statement issued by the HRCBM on Monday.

“A chilling example of this weaponisation of justice is the ongoing detention of Chinmoy Krishna Brahmachari, a revered monk and social reformer. He was first arrested under a sedition charge, filed illegally by a private individual — in violation of Bangladeshi law which only allows the state to file sedition charges (as per Section 196 of the Code of Criminal Procedure). Despite the baselessness of this charge, and mounting public outrage, Chinmoy Prabhu remains imprisoned,” the statement added.

The rights body revealed that the bail petition of Chinmoy Krishna Das, now pending before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, has received no resolution for months. Since then, it stated that he has been entangled in multiple "fabricated cases", including "false allegations of murder."

The HRCBM questioned whether "his only crime was speaking truth to power and advocating for the rights of Bangladesh’s marginalised communities". It further stated that his case stands as a “microcosm of broader state inaction and complicity — a legal mockery in a system that claims to uphold justice.”

According to the human rights body, following a rigorous investigative effort, it examined 15 criminal cases filed between October 31 and December 19, 2024, adding that these cases implicated 5,701 individuals, many of whom were "targeted without specific allegations", often lumped together under sweeping FIRs.

“These sweeping accusations, particularly the usage of unidentified suspects, are reportedly being exploited by both police and local actors to arrest minority individuals arbitrarily — a tactic notably observed in Chittagong city and elsewhere. Such practices not only trample constitutional protections but further fracture an already vulnerable population,” the HRCBM noted.

“For generations, religious minorities in Bangladesh have faced recurring waves of violence, displacement, and legal persecution. Today, false criminal cases represent a new frontier of this abuse — one that is both systemic and silent,” it added.

The PIL sought to challenge the arbitrary use of the FIR process to file mass accusations without proper investigation and urged judicial directives mandating preliminary inquiries in cases vulnerable to misuse.

Additionally, it demanded disciplinary action against officers complicit in malicious prosecutions and called for a judicial inquiry or a commission to assess and report on false cases.

--IANS

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