Plea filed against harassment of Bangladesh minorities

Dhaka

The Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the High Court against what it calls the widespread use of false criminal cases to harass and intimidate religious minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh.

“This PIL is not just a legal action — it is a cry for justice in a country where over 3.9 million criminal cases remain pending,” the HRCBM stated on Monday.

The organization highlighted the case of Chinmoy Krishna Brahmachari, a monk and social reformer, who was arrested under sedition charges illegally filed by a private individual. According to Bangladeshi law, only the state can file sedition charges. Despite public protests, he remains in jail, with his bail petition pending for months.

HRCBM claimed that Chinmoy Krishna has been falsely accused in multiple cases, including murder, for speaking up for minority rights.

The rights group’s investigation examined 15 cases filed from October to December 2024, implicating 5,701 people, many without specific evidence. The group alleged that these vague cases, particularly in Chittagong, are used by police and local actors to target minorities arbitrarily.

“For generations, religious minorities have faced violence and displacement. False criminal cases are now a new tool of persecution,” the HRCBM said.

The PIL urges the court to mandate proper investigations before filing cases, punish officers involved in malicious charges, and form a judicial commission to study the misuse of law against minorities.