Bloggers� �plight� in Bangladesh raised to UN

The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) has raised the ‘plight’ of Bangladeshi atheist bloggers at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), urging the government to take urgent action to protect their lives and reform its laws so as to protect their freedom of religion, belief, and expression.
In a written submission to the UNHRC, the IHEU raised some serious concerns over the situation for those who seek to express criticism of political Islam, Islamism, or religious militancy, who advocate secularism, or who identify as atheist in Bangladesh, according to an article posted on the IHEU website dated Thursday.
“Over the past few years, there has been a pattern of vicious attacks specifically targeting Bangladesh’s secular/atheist blogging community, which the state authorities seem either unable or unwilling to prevent,” it said.
The London-based IHEU claims to be the sole global umbrella organisation embracing humanist, atheist, rationalist, secularist, skeptic, secular, ethical, cultural, free thought and similar organisations worldwide.
“During the first five months of 2015, three atheist bloggers were hacked to death on the streets of Bangladesh. As yet, no one has been successfully prosecuted over the attacks and there is said to exist a ‘hit-list’ compiled by radical Islamists in Bangladesh which includes the names of many secularist writers, bloggers and journalists – the three bloggers killed this year were reportedly named on that list also,” it said.
A Foreign Ministry official acknowledged that such a submission has been made at the UNHRC on behalf of IHEU.
“UN Human Rights Council-affiliated organisations can submit statements and the Council takes note of them. The governments do not answer directly to the organisations. The governments only reply when queries are made through UN system,” he said.
“Since the submission has been made by a council-affiliated organisation, we should pay proper attention,” he said in response to a query, adding that there was cause for concern.
Bangladesh is a member of the Human Rights Council, an inter-governmental body within the UN system made up of 47 States responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe.

 

Bloggers� �plight� in Bangladesh raised to UN

The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) has raised the plight of Bangladeshi atheist bloggers at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), urging the government to take urgent action to protect their lives and reform its laws so as to protect their freedom of religion, belief, and expression. In a written submission to the UNHRC, the IHEU raised some serious concerns over the situation for those who seek to express criticism of political Islam, Islamism, or religious militancy, who advocate secularism, or who identify as atheist in Bangladesh, according to an article posted on the IHEU website dated Thursday. Over the past few years, there has been a pattern of vicious attacks specifically targeting Bangladeshs secular/atheist blogging community, which the state authorities seem either unable or unwilling to prevent, it said. The London-based IHEU claims to be the sole global umbrella organisation embracing humanist, atheist, rationalist, secularist, skeptic, secular, ethical, cultural, free thought and similar organisations worldwide. During the first five months of 2015, three atheist bloggers were hacked to death on the streets of Bangladesh. As yet, no one has been successfully prosecuted over the attacks and there is said to exist a hit-list compiled by radical Islamists in Bangladesh which includes the names of many secularist writers, bloggers and journalists the three bloggers killed this year were reportedly named on that list also, it said. A Foreign Ministry official acknowledged that such a submission has been made at the UNHRC on behalf of IHEU. UN Human Rights Council-affiliated organisations can submit statements and the Council takes note of them. The governments do not answer directly to the organisations. The governments only reply when queries are made through UN system, he said. Since the submission has been made by a council-affiliated organisation, we should pay proper attention, he said in response to a query, adding that there was cause for concern. Bangladesh is a member of the Human Rights Council, an inter-governmental body within the UN system made up of 47 States responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights around the globe.