BANGLADESH OTHER COUNTRIES AND REGIONS MONITORED KEY FINDINGS RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE U.S. GOVERNMENT In 2016, the frequency of violent and deadly attacks against religious minorities, secular bloggers, intellec- USCIRF recommends that the U.S. government should: tuals, and foreigners by domestic and transnational provide technical assistance and encourage the Ban- extremist groups increased. Although the government, gladeshi government to further develop its national led by the ruling Awami League, has taken steps to inves- counterterrorism strategy; urge Prime Minister Sheikh tigate, arrest, and prosecute perpetrators and increase Hasina and all government officials to frequently and publicly denounce religiously divisive language and acts protection for likely targets, the threats and violence of religiously motivated violence and harassment; assist have heightened the sense of fear among Bangladeshi the Bangladeshi government in providing local govern- citizens of all religious groups. In addition, illegal land ment officials, police officers, and judges with training on appropriations—commonly referred to as land-grab- international human rights standards, as well as how to bing—and ownership disputes remain widespread, investigate and adjudicate religiously motivated violent particularly against Hindus and Christians. Other con- acts; urge the Bangladeshi government to investigate cerns include issues related to property returns and the claims of land-grabbing and to repeal its blasphemy law; situation of Rohingya Muslims. In March 2016, a USCIRF and encourage the Bangladeshi government to continue staff member traveled to Bangladesh to assess the reli- to provide humanitarian assistance and a safe haven for gious freedom situation. Rohingya Muslims fleeing persecution in Burma. BACKGROUND the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Notably, four According to the United Nations (UN), Bangladesh’s pop- Bangladeshis—Washiqur Rahman Babu, Ananta Bijoy ulation is nearly 164 million. Approximately 90 percent of Das, Niloy Chatterjee, and Faisal Arefin Dipan—and one the population is Sunni Muslim and 9.5 percent is Hindu; Bangladeshi-American, Avijit Roy, were assassinated for all other faiths, including Christians and Buddhists, make their writings on secularism and freedom of thought, up the remaining 0.5 percent. Bangladesh, including its religious and communal tolerance, and political trans- capital of Dhaka, is one of the most population-dense parency and accountability in 2015. Additionally, “Hit areas in the world, which can make policing difficult. Lists” of individuals targeted for assassination because Bangladesh’s political landscape is deeply divided of their secularist or atheist views were widely available between the ruling Awami League and the main oppo- on the Internet, and dozens of individuals were forced to sition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). flee the country or their areas of residence. The January 2014 parliamentary election was neither free nor fair, and was followed by violence in 16 out of 64 districts. The worst attacks occurred in minority-domi- In 2016 . there were numerous nated villages. Dozens of Hindu properties were looted deadly attacks . targeting religious or set ablaze, and hundreds of Hindus fled their homes. minorities, secular bloggers, Christian and Buddhist communities also were tar- intellectuals, and foreigners. geted. Most attacks were attributed to individuals and groups associated with the BNP and the main Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami (Jamaat). RELIGIOUS FREEDOM CONDITIONS Historically, Bangladesh, while having some 2016–2017 longstanding religious freedom issues, was not afflicted with widespread domestic and transnational extrem- Targeting of Religious Communities by ist and terrorist organizations that targeted religious Extremists and Terrorist Organizations communities or the government. However, begin- In 2016, for the second year in a row, there were numer- ning in late 2014, Bangladesh began to experience an ous deadly attacks claimed by or attributed to extremist increasing number of violent attacks by such groups, groups—especially JMB and ISIS—targeting religious especially Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB) and minorities, secular bloggers, intellectuals, and foreigners. U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM | ANNUAL REPORT 2017 www.USCIRF.gov | [email protected] | @USCIRF MONITORED MONITORED For example, in January, February, and June, three Hindu mobs. Furthermore, they report that government priests were killed in Jhenaidah, Panchagarh, and Jhin- officials from the Awami League, BNP, and Jamaat BANGLADESH aigah districts, respectively. In April, a liberal professor continue to use religiously divisive rhetoric for political was killed by ISIS militants, who slit his throat. In the gains. same month, a 26-year-old secular blogger, Nazimuddin Samad, was killed in Dhaka. In June, a Christian man October 2016 Attack against Hindus was killed while leaving a church in Bonpara, Rajshahi On October 31, 2016, in Nasirnagar, Brahmanbaria district. In the last year, ISIS also targeted members of district, a mob of at least 100 Muslims violently attacked the Sunni majority. For example, on July 8 four Sunni a Hindu village. Although police reinforcements, Muslims were killed in a bomb and gun attack at a local members of Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion force, mosque during Eid-al-Fitr celebrations. and paramilitary border guards were dispatched to The attacks raised fears among all Bangladeshis, the area, the attack left dozens injured and at least 15 although religious minority communities are especially Hindu temples and over 200 homes badly damaged fearful because terrorist organizations such as ISIS have and looted. Smaller attacks against Hindus in the area said they seek to create an Islamic caliphate in which also were reported. According to initial media reports, minorities are not welcome. In response to the attacks, two Islamist groups—Hefajat-e-Islam and Ahle Sun- the Bangladeshi government has shown some politi- nat—incited the violence by alleging that a young man cal will to investigate and arrest perpetrators, provide posted on Facebook an edited photo of a Hindu deity protection to likely targets, and actively combat extrem- sitting on top of the Kaaba, a sacred Islamic site in ist and terrorist groups. For example, in a controversial Mecca. However, an investigation by the governmental act in June 2016 the government arrested nearly 11,000 National Human Rights Commission found the incident individuals, including some suspected of ties to terrorist was a preplanned effort to push Hindus out of the area groups. While domestic and international human rights and grab their land. The government’s Forensic Depart- groups criticized the action as overly broad, religious ment of Police Bureau of Investigation reported that minority leaders wel- the Facebook photo was comed it. planted, likely to incite Additionally, in the the violence. past year the government In response to the attacks, The government of began monitoring at the Bangladeshi government has shown Bangladesh reports that least a dozen nongov- some political will to investigate and more than 1,000 people ernmental organizations arrest perpetrators, provide protection connected to the Nasir- suspected of receiving to likely targets, and actively nagar incident and the funds from abroad to combat extremist and terrorist groups. smaller attacks have been finance terrorist groups arrested and/or charged, banned in Bangladesh; and the Nasirnagar chief the government also accepted assistance from the police officer and three local Awami League party United States to track terrorist groups and investigate leaders have been suspended for their involvement. incidents when they occur, and increased protection Additionally, the government reportedly instructed for religious minority communities, especially around local police to continuously patrol 10 key areas to ensure religious holidays and festivals. Nevertheless, religious no additional attacks occur, and three committees con- minority communities report the government’s failure stituted to investigate the incidents continue their work. to publicly acknowledge ISIS’ presence in the country has created an intelligence void, making it difficult to Land-Grabbing and stop attacks before they occur. Minority communities Governmental Eminent Domain also believe the government has not provided enough Illegal seizures of land, commonly referred to as training and equipment to police to disperse violent land-grabbing, by individuals—including local police U.S. COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM | ANNUAL REPORT 2017 www.USCIRF.gov | [email protected] | @USCIRF MONITORED MONITORED and political leaders—is a significant concern through- group reported that 70 percent of all claims remain out Bangladesh. Violent attacks on property holders unsolved four years after the act was enacted. BANGLADESH and arson almost always accompany incidents of land- grabbing. Moreover, local governments and police Rohingya Muslims often fail to investigate violent attacks that accompany For decades, Bangladesh has hosted—in two gov- landgrabs because their colleagues are implicated. ernment-run camps in Cox’s Bazaar near the Additionally, in recent years the government increas- Bangladesh-Burmese border—an estimated 30,000 ingly has used eminent domain to take land, reportedly officially recognized Rohingya Muslim refugees who for economic