US commission report: Religious freedom concerns persist in Bangladesh

While Bangladesh's government has made progress in introducing needed reforms to direct political stability, tensions and religious freedom concerns still persist, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom has said.

Following a visit to Bangladesh in May, a delegation of the commission noted that although Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus reaffirmed his government's commitment to religious freedom, many individuals expressed concerns over their safety and ability to practise their faith openly.

In a report released on July 21, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said that despite constitutional guarantees, Bangladesh maintains a blasphemy law under section 195A of the Penal Code. Provisions in the Cyber Security Act 2023 that criminalise content deemed to hurt religious sentiments and these offences carry penalties of up to two years in prison.

The report highlighted that proposed constitutional reforms have presented unique implications for religious freedom. The Constitutional Reform Commission recommended replacing "secularism" with "pluralism" in the preamble. The BNP rejected the proposal, demanding reinstatement of the phrase "absolute faith in Almighty Allah". Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party proposed alternatives such as "multiculturalism" or a Bangla equivalent.

Religious minorities reported being excluded from the reform process and underrepresented in politics and state institutions, the USCIRF said.

The Women's Reform Commission proposed 433 recommendations to combat discrimination against women. However, groups like Hefazat-e-Islam labelled the proposals "anti-Islamic" and staged protests. One recommendation to introduce a civil code to supplement religiously based family and personal laws sparked mixed responses.

In May, Hefazat led a 20,000-person rally in Dhaka demanding the disbandment of the Women's Reform Commission, restoration of "full trust and faith in Allah" in the constitution, and withdrawal of all cases against its leaders.

More broadly, some women have complained of more public displays of conservative Islamic views on university campuses, the report said.

Although the interim government condemned attacks on minority communities, the USCIRF pointed to a lack of accountability, attributing it partly to a "collapse of the law enforcement system".

Hindu, indigenous, Ahmadiyya, and Sufi Muslim communities continue to report discrimination, the report said.

It said fears of religiously motivated violence persist with national elections due early next year, but the authorities have yet to outline a comprehensive strategy beyond increased police deployment.

The report observed that Bangladesh's political leadership has long oscillated between the Awami League and the BNP, both of which have drawn on religious identity for electoral gain. Though the Awami League is considered more secular and inclusive, attacks on religious minorities occurred under Sheikh Hasina's rule. The interim government has banned the party's activities.

The BNP, described as more conservative, has ties to Islamic parties like Jamaat-e-Islami, which was banned under Sheikh Hasina.

"Some religious minorities and Muslim women emphasized that they continue to face societal-level discrimination from more hardline Islamic groups, and they emphasized that attacks along religious lines, while sporadic, continue," the report said.

The commission reiterated that all religious minorities should be able to practise their faith without fear or retribution. 

Source: The daily Star