OHCHR received second-hand reports alleging incidents of sexual violence targeting women from distinct religious and indigenous communities, particularly after 5 August.421 Despite extensive efforts, OHCHR was unable to obtain first-hand testimonies, nor corroborate these allegations with additional information, nor could it establish exact dates for the alleged incidents. Safety concerns and the difficulty of accessing remote areas where victims were unwilling or unable to come forward due to fear of reprisals or social ostracism posed significant challenges. In alleged cases involving victims with disabilities or where the primary contacts were close relatives, such as a father or husband, obtaining victims’ consent or confidential accounts was nearly impossible, as privacy could not be guaranteed. These obstacles severely limited OHCHR’s ability to conduct thorough, trauma-informed interviews that prioritized victims' safety and confidentiality. The recurrence of these allegati...
Dhanmondi 32, the famous house-turned-museum in Dhaka, had a special place in Bangladesh’s politics. It served as founding father Mujibur Rahman’s house and was the centre of all his political activities until he died in 1975. But now, it has been reduced to ruins after vandals set fire to it and then destroyed it with hammers and shovels People watch as others take away the metals and electric wirings from Dhanmondi 32, the vandalised residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh's former leader and the father of the country's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. AP August 5, 2024, marked a turning point in Bangladesh’s political landscape, as students’ protests led to the downfall and eventual ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. On that day, her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s house, Dhanmondi 32, was attacked, vandalised, and set on fire by angry mobs. Now, almost six months later, the historic house at Dhaka’s Dhanmondi 32 has once again been a...
There has been a longer record of attacks on places of worship, especially temples and shrines, in Bangladesh.419 In terms of the period under consideration in this report, between 5 and 15 August, media and other local sources reported attacks on places of worship associated with Hindu, Ahmadiyya, Buddhist and Christian communities across several regions. According to information submitted to OHCHR, in Burashardubi, Hatibandha, Lalmonirhat three temples were attacked and set ablaze, along with the looting of approximately 20 houses, reflecting significant levels of community unrest. There was also an arson attack in Meherpur on a temple of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Specific incidents reported to OHCHR also underlined the complexities surrounding these attacks. For example, the Kali temple in Nandipara was attacked on August 7, but, upon investigation, it became clear that the damage stemmed not from religious intolerance, but rather a local dis...
Comments
Post a Comment