Ahmad Abdul Quader, secretary general of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, on Thursday said the proposed establishment of the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Dhaka poses a threat to the country’s stability.
Speaking at a roundtable organised by Islami Jubo Majlish in the capital, Quader alleged that of nearly 200 UN member states, OHCHR offices exist in only 16—most of which are unstable. "Despite having offices in Palestine and Syria, the UN has failed to prevent genocides. Meanwhile, in India, the hardline Hindutva-led Modi government is openly persecuting minorities, demolishing mosques and Islamic heritage sites, yet no OHCHR office has been established there. Myanmar also continues to violate human rights, but the UN has not opened an office there either,” he said.
He claimed the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) selectively advocates for particular global agendas and groups, often failing to address broader humanitarian crises.
Quader warned that over 90% of Bangladesh’s population are Muslims with strong cultural and moral opposition to LGBTQ and same-sex relations. “The OHCHR is known to promote LGBTQ rights. Establishing such an office in a socially conservative country like Bangladesh could destabilize the nation,” he said, urging the interim government to cancel any related agreements immediately.
The roundtable titled “Establishment of UN Human Rights Office in Dhaka: Threats and Realities” was held at the Majlish Auditorium in Paltan while Islami Jubo Majlish Central President Tawhid Islam Tuhin presided over the session.
Conducted by Islami Jubo Majlish General Secretary Maulana Sohail Ahmed, the event was also addressed by Khelafat Majlish Joint Secretary General Muhammad Muntasir Ali, Professor Abdul Jalil, Central Cultural Secretary Maulana Ruhul Amin Sadi, Islami Chhatra Majlish President Muhammad Raihan Ali, senior lawyer Advocate Md Sheikhul Islam, and political analyst Asad Parvez.
Among others present were Maulana Azizul Haque, General Secretary of Khelafat Majlish Dhaka North; Advocate Rafiqul Islam, Central Executive Member and Joint General Secretary of Lawyers Majlish; HM Ershad, General Secretary of Shramik Majlish; Kazi Arifur Rahman, Joint General Secretary of Khelafat Majlish Dhaka South; and several youth and student leaders.