Geneva: BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami dubbed as “collaborators of terrorism”

Ansar Ahmed Ullah.             Contributing Editor, Shottobani

London: A demonstration and banner campaign was held during the 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva. Bengali diaspora 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 the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh.

The demonstration and human chain was held during the 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council on 10 October.

Organised by the Swiss 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 Bengalis during their rule.

Nazrul Islam, president of Switzerland Awami League, said, “We are here demanding the United Nations and other international community to recognise the genocide in Bangladesh.”

Khalilur Rehman, President of Switzerland Forum for Secular Bangladesh, accused West of backing the Khaleda 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.”