GHRD Warns UNHRC of Escalating Persecution of Minorities in Bangladesh

At the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Charlotte Zehrer, UN-EU Human Rights Officer from Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD), delivered a powerful oral intervention drawing attention to the alarming human rights situation facing ethnic and religious minorities in Bangladesh.

In her statement, Zehrer expressed deep concern over what she described as a “systematic and deeply troubling” pattern of violence, discrimination, and marginalization of minority communities. She reported that over 2,400 incidents of attacks against minorities were documented in the past year alone, with indigenous populations in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, along with Hindu and Christian communities across the country, being disproportionately affected.

Zehrer outlined the forms of persecution these groups face, including attacks on homes and places of worship, gender-based violence—particularly rape—arbitrary arrests, and fabricated blasphemy charges. She also highlighted land grabbing, forced displacement, and pressure placed on minority professionals to resign from their positions as part of a broader pattern of marginalization.

Of particular concern was the rise in cases of forced religious conversions, especially among teenagers and young adults. Zehrer warned that such trends point to a serious erosion of fundamental rights and freedoms, demanding urgent international attention.

While she acknowledged the ongoing cooperation between the Government of Bangladesh, the Human Rights Council, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Zehrer stressed that these efforts must go further. She emphasized the need for meaningful accountability and immediate steps to protect vulnerable communities.

She called on the Council to advocate for the release of detained minority leaders and activists and urged for the reform or repeal of laws that discriminate against minority groups. Zehrer also demanded impartial and transparent investigations into all reported incidents of human rights violations.

In her concluding remarks, she recommended increased international oversight and proposed that the United Nations consider deploying a fact-finding mission to Bangladesh to closely monitor the situation on the ground.

“Ensuring justice for minorities in Bangladesh is not only a national responsibility but also an international obligation,” Zehrer stated, urging the Council to intensify its efforts in holding perpetrators accountable and to stand in solidarity with marginalized communities.

Source: ANI