Hifazat demands scrapping of MoU on UN rights mission in Dhaka

The group says the planned office operates under what it calls a “pro-American agenda”

Hifazat-e Islam Bangladesh has demanded the immediate cancellation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) to open a new mission of the Office of the United Nations Human Rights (OHCHR) in Dhaka.

In a statement on Saturday, the group warned of “tougher action” if the interim government fails to revoke the agreement without delay.

Hifazat’s chief and secretary general criticised the government for ignoring public opinion on this “sensitive issue”.

They said the UN human rights office “serves US interests and must not be allowed to operate in Bangladesh”.

According to Hifazat, UN human rights offices are usually found in war-torn countries.

“Opening such an office here is neither dignified nor justified. Bangladesh is not a war-affected nation, so their intention raises serious questions,” it said.

The Islamist group also claimed that if the demands of the July Uprising were implemented, there would be no need for a UN rights office in the country.

It urged the interim government to take immediate steps to fulfil those demands.

Hifazat alleged that foreign and domestic agencies have long tried to “interfere” in Bangladesh’s Muslim family laws, Shariah, and religious values.

It also criticised the UN’s inclusion of LGBT issues in its rights charter and policies.

Citing recent media reports, the group objected to the appointment of a UN envoy who is reportedly a member of the LGBT community, saying it “undermines” the country’s religious and social values.

The Qawmi madrasa-based organisation expressed concern over what it described as growing “conspiracies centring” the Chattogram Hill Tracts.

It said the planned OHCHR office could worsen the situation, as the interim government appears “indifferent” to protecting the country’s sovereignty and religious values.

Referring to the 2013 Shapla Chattar incident, Hifazat leaders said the UN rights office never issued a statement on that incident or other human rights violations allegedly linked to “drama around militancy” under the previous government.

It also alleged that human rights violations against Islamic scholars and activists were made possible “only with the backing of countries like the US and India”.

“The presence or absence of a UN rights office means little,” the statement read.

“Even in Palestine, three decades of such presence has achieved nothing. We will not let Bangladesh become another battlefield,” it added.