Geneva: Bangladeshi activists dub BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami as "collaborators of terrorism"

They held a demonstration and banner campaign during the 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council.

A group of political activists from Bangladesh, who are living in Europe, gathered at the monumental sculpture 'Broken Chair' in front of the United Nations in Geneva to condemn the religious extremism and terrorism perpetrated by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh. They held a demonstration and banner campaign during the 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday here.

Organised by the Forum for Secular Bangladesh, the theme was 'Zero tolerance against religious extremism and terrorism in Bangladesh'. European Freedom Fighters Associations Bangladesh and Switzerland Chapter of Bangladesh also joined these activists and raised slogans accusing BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami as collaborators of terrorism.

They termed them as human rights violators who were responsible for killing secular Bangladesh Army personnel during their rule. Nazrul Islam, president of Switzerland Awami League, said, "We are here to recognise the genocide of 1971 and we are demanding the United Nations and other international community to recognise the genocide in Bangladesh, and Pakistan's brutal army have to apologise Bangladesh."

Khalilur Rehman, a Bangladeshi human rights activist living in Switzerland, accused the West of backing Khalida Zia-led BNP party. He said, "We are observing in Bangladesh that the United States is backing Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP to destroy the country. We gained independence in 1971 by a revolution and we will not allow any such conspiracy." The demonstration was also joined by former Dutch MP, Harry Van Bommel. He addressed the protesters and said, "No matter the extremism and terrorism comes from groups like Jamaat-e-Islami and even backed by the Pakistan government. Pakistan has a bad track record when it comes to state terrorism as it was shown in 1971 by carrying genocide." (ANI)

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