A group of Bangladeshis in the United States have written to Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres to stop the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh National Party’s (BNP) “killers, arson terrorists, saboteurs and anti-national forces” who want to disrupt democracy, development, human rights and national security of Bangladesh.
“Our humble request to you to please stop the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh National Party’s (BNP) killers, arson terrorists, saboteurs and anti-national forces who want to disrupt the democracy, development, human rights and national security of Bangladesh,” they wrote in a letter.
In this continuation of development, they said, when Bangladesh needs political stability, the “anti-independence” BNP-Jamaat and their allies are trying to undermine the rights of the people of the country, the letter said.
“BNP-Jamaat want to come to power by creating anarchy through vandalism and arson attacks across the country in the name of blockade,” they said.
Recently, a lot of fake news have been circulating both on social media as well as traditional media concerning the 2024 quota reform protests in Bangladesh and subsequent government actions, they mentioned.
The letter was submitted jointly by a number of organisations including the US Awami League and Bangladesh Liberation War Veterans 1971, US. US Awami League leader Dr Pradip R Kar handed over the letter. The letter was received by an official at the UN Headquarters.
Protesting the BNP-Jamaat mayhem, a rally was also held on July 29.
In 1971, the relationship between Bangladesh and the United Nations began in the early stages of the Liberation War. In March 1971, millions sought refuge in neighbouring India. In April, the Indian government requested the UN to provide humanitarian assistance to the refugees, and UN initiated a response.
The signatories of the letter said that repeated statements from quota reform protest leaders disowning and condemning the violence confirmed that the violence came from a vested quarter and had nothing to do with the quota protests.
“Even the Prime Minister herself, in her address to the nation, was noticeably clear that the government is making a clear distinction between the non-political and non-violent protests of the students and the wanton violence unleashed by the vested quarter to serve their own narrow interests,” they mentioned.
Following the clashes between protestors, student organizations, and law enforcement agents, and the resulting loss of lives, the government has formed a judicial commission, headed by a serving High Court judge to investigate each and every incident of death connected to the protests, they said.
The Prime Minister, in her address to the nation, assured everyone that none connected to these killings will escape the accountability of the justice system, they said.
The government also mourns the loss of all innocent lives. The Prime Minister has already declared that the government will be taking responsibility for all affected families.
“While the government is yet to complete its assessment of the total losses and damages inflicted so far, the main targets of the criminals have so far been law enforcement officials, journalists, public and private transport, and important government establishments, installations, and properties,” the letter said.
Another hallmark has been widespread looting of public and private properties, wherever such opportunities arose.
“During the students’ ‘Complete Shutdown’ program, the following state assets were targeted by Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and Bangladesh National Party’s terrorists in a deeply planned manner, destroyed through vandalism, arson, and sabotage,” the letter reads.
According to newspaper information, the amount of loss is at least Tk 84 thousand crore, the letter said.
The price of innocent students, pedestrians, workers, policemen, security personnel who lost their lives cannot be determined, it added.