A recent US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report sharply criticizes Bangladesh's escalating restrictions on religious freedom. Religious dialogues are dominated by Sunni Islamist groups, particularly Deobandis and Jamaat-e-Islami. It has further marginalized minority Muslim communities like Shias and Qadiyanis. These groups face legal and social limitations, including targeted violence, self-sensorship on open religious practice.

Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, secularists, indigenous tribal groups and atheists are left without meaningful rights to critical engagement, discussion, or dissent. Due to blasphemy laws, communal intolerance and Anti-Semitism are prevalent. Freedom of speech is curtailed amid growing pressure to conform to the Sunni-majority narrative, silencing minority voices and suppressing critical or secular opinions.

OHCHR prepares to open its mission in Bangladesh, we urge UN authorities to take a robust stance upholding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Full religious autonomy means not only practicing faith, but also permitting critical dialogues and being tolerant of blashphemy, conversions and apostasy. Unless these protections are safeguarded, minorities can never engage in freedom of speech and Islamists shall keep pushing one sided fallacies and opinions to intellectually harass minorities.

Media Inquiry:

S M Faiyaz Hossain
Political Columnist
The Milli Chronicle
‪+61411681935‬
[email protected]