In light of the ongoing crisis in neighboring Bangladesh, a human rights organization based in New Delhi has reached out to the United Nations with a pressing appeal. The Rights and Risks Analysis Group has petitioned the UN to address concerns over racial profiling of Hindu officers under the administration led by Muhammad Yunus.
On Thursday, the organization urged UN Special Rapporteurs responsible for contemporary racism, freedom of religion or belief, and minority rights to step in. They are seeking intervention to prevent the caretaker government from targeting Hindu officers based on their religious identity.
In an exclusive interview with NewsX, Suhas Chakma, Director of the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG), shared his opinion on the matter with Vineet Malhotra, Senior Consulting Editor at NewsX.
Is Bangladesh racially profiling Hindus?
Firstly, he was asked why he was convinced the situation in Bangladesh was a case of racial profiling. He responded, “Well, it’s a case of racial profiling if you look at the policy of the United States and others when they were targeting a particular religious group as being sympathetic towards al-Qaeda and other groups. If you are going to identify all the Muslims as victims of racial profiling because of the alleged link or suspected links with some terrorist groups, and if you particularly target only one community—that’s the Hindus in Bangladesh—there cannot be any other term but racial profiling. I think what we need to understand is that if we say it’s a Hindu-Muslim conflict, then it is as if a local conflict, but I think internationally, when you use the term racial profiling, it’s understood by everybody what racial profiling means.”
Government’s Actions and Constitutional Violations
Elaborating on his notion further, Chakma added, “And that’s basically targeting a particular group of people based on their religious belief or physical features, and this is the particular case where the government itself had sought the names of the joint secretary. So, you cannot actually seek this kind of information based on your religious belief. So the very fact that the government of Bangladesh, the president, had issued such directions actually is a violation of the Constitution of Bangladesh. It’s a violation of the commitments to which the government of Bangladesh is a party. And if you are going to invite the United Nations to investigate the violations which took place, that’s welcome, but then you have to bear in mind that you cannot at the same time pursue the same racist policies, racial profiling, with respect to the Hindus and other minority groups.”
Doubts on Yunus’ Claims
Further in the interview, it was asked if Bangladesh’s interim leader was wrong in his claim that the atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh were being exaggerated and if he was merely attempting to downplay the situation to ensure that the international community would remain disengaged. Chakma replied, “Well, I think Mr. Yunus is lying for only one reason: because he doesn’t know or he has not verified—his government has not verified each of the incidents to come to the conclusion that these attacks are taking place because of the support they had extended to the army. Unless and until you verify each and every incident, how could you come to the conclusion that these are because of the political affiliation with this particular political party? The government of Bangladesh at this point in time doesn’t have a grip over law and order. If you look at the number of cases which they have filed, I think about 268 cases, the Bangladesh authorities have registered against 1 lakh 94,000 people. So you could see that certain actors are being targeted, and it’s very premature for a Nobel Laureate, forget about being head of the committee or government, to come to the conclusion that these attacks are taking place because of the affiliation with the army.”
He also added, “Then, in that case, he should come out with the number of attacks that have taken place, what the inquiry had found, and whether they were conclusively for their allegiance with the army. I don’t think anybody in Bangladesh, including the home minister or the director general of police of Bangladesh, has done that particular survey or investigation. So he cannot come to this conclusion at this point in time, and I mean, this can only be a lie because we do not know the details, he doesn’t know the details, and nobody knows the details at this point in time because the investigations have not been started or even been concluded. So how does he conclude?”
What Led to Allegations of Racial Profiling in Bangladesh?
On August 29, 2024, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Cotton and Jute directed departments to submit lists of Hindu officers at the joint secretary level by September 2, following an August 27 order from the President’s Personnel Department. This action has raised concerns of racial profiling against Hindus. According to Suhas Chakma of the Rights and Risks Analysis Group, this targeting violates both constitutional and international norms and suggests a troubling pattern of discrimination. Chakma’s critique of the interim leader’s claims underscores the lack of verified evidence, highlighting the urgent need for an independent investigation and international intervention to address these serious allegations.
WATCH THE FULL DISCUSSION BELOW:
ALSO READ: Manipur: Army, Police Recover War-Like Arms’ Stores, Ammunition
