Hefazat protests MoU on UN human rights office launch in Dhaka
It is puzzling why they are seeking to open an office here when Bangladesh is not a conflict zone, Hefazat says
Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh has strongly protested the interim government's signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) allowing the establishment of a UN human rights office in Dhaka.
In a joint statement issued today (19 July), Hefazat Ameer Allama Shah Muhibbullah Babunagri and Secretary General Sajidur Rahman warned of launching a strict protest programme if the MoU is not cancelled.
They also expressed their objections, calling the move unacceptable and politically motivated.
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"The UN human rights office serves the interests of the United States and has no place in Bangladesh. This is a policy position of the Ulamas of the country," the statement read.
Hefazat argued that the presence of a UN human rights office is typically seen in war-torn or conflict-ridden countries, and insisted that such an office in Bangladesh would be both inappropriate and dishonourable.
"It is puzzling why they are seeking to open an office here when Bangladesh is not a conflict zone," said the statement.
Hefazat-e-Islami further claimed that if the demands of the July uprising are met, there would be no need for any external human rights oversight.
The party leaders urged the interim government to act swiftly and fulfill those demands instead of inviting foreign interference.
Criticizing the UN's silence over the 2013 Shapla Chattar crackdown, the statement noted, "The UN Human Rights Commission has yet to issue any statement on the brutal killing of innocent scholars and religious persons at Motijheel on 5 May 2013."
Yesterday (18 July), the government of Bangladesh and the UN Human Rights Office signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to open a mission in Bangladesh to support the promotion and protection of human rights.
The memorandum was signed by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk and Asad Alam Siam, foreign secretary, on behalf of the government of Bangladesh.
