The Global Forum for Islamist Parliamentarians (GFIP) on 8 May expressed strong condemnation of the heinous massacre of unarmed peaceful demonstrators in Dhaka.In a press statement, Hussein Ibrahim, Chairman of the Forum, said: “The unjustified storming of the square where people gathered in protest, and the use of violence and live ammunition against demonstrators represent a blatant violation of all international norms and conventions on human rights.
“The Bangladeshi regime could have avoided this massacre by engaging in a peaceful dialogue with protesters, and reaching common points of agreement to avoid dragging the country into a spiral of violence and chaos that would certainly undermine security and stability.”
The GFIP stressed that the protesters’ demands are legitimate rights, but the Bangladeshi government was determined to use violence against peaceful demonstrators, in an attempt to break the will of the Islamic groups and prevent them from organising further demonstrations, protests and sit-ins to stop unjust executions of its leaders, considering that these verdicts were political, not judicial.
The GFIP called on international institutions, especially the Security Council and the United Nations, to convent an urgent session to discuss the developments of the crisis, to impose sanctions on the Bangladeshi regime, to demand that it bring the perpetrators of the massacre to an urgent trial, and to reconsider the death sentences passed on Jamaat leaders.
Britain’s Foreign Office Needs to Take Bangladesh Government to Task
The Muslim Council of Britain has observed emerging reports of mass shootings of religious protesters in Dhaka, in the early hours of 6 May. It is alleged that the police fired live rounds on to protestors with little provocation. With a government enforced media-blackout underway, the true extent of the atrocity is being suppressed. British Bangladeshis, second largest Muslim community in UK, have approached the Muslim Council to ensure the truth prevails.
On 5 May there was a protest in Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka, by a religious and usually apolitical group. While the contents of their demands may be the subject of intense debate, the protestors nevertheless deserve the right to life and freedom of association.
“We call on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to investigate the matter as a priority and demand an explanation from the Bangladesh government, a member of the commonwealth. UK licence-fee payers will also want to know why the BBC has not covered the issue with fairness in recent months and days. We call on human rights NGOs and media in Bangladesh to extend their humanity to religious actors in their country, who they are used to framing as oppressors. Human rights and dignity are for everybody,” read a statement of MCB on 7 May.