BANGLADESH: JMBF Strongly Condemns and Demands Justice over Brutal Attack on the Religious Minority Matua Community in Jessore

To read the Bengali and French versions, scroll below.

Paris, France; 26 May 2025: The France-based human rights organization JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) has expressed deep concern and condemnation over the planned arson, looting, and physical attacks on 18 houses of the religious minority Hindu Matua community in Dohormoshiahat village, Abhaynagar Upazila, Jessore, on 22 May 2025. JMBF considers this brutal attack, carried out solely due to religious minority identity and political vendetta, a severe violation of the constitution, human rights, and civil liberties.

Is Violence Against Minorities Justified for Political Reasons?

Advocate Shahanur Islam 

On March 17, in an interview broadcast on Indian TV channel NDTV, the head of U.S. National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, expressed deep concern about the overall situation in Bangladesh, particularly regarding the persecution of minorities. She explicitly mentioned that the Trump administration was extremely worried about the human rights situation of minorities in Bangladesh. 

However, soon after her statement, the office of the Chief Adviser of the interim government issued a press release denying these concerns. The statement claimed that religious minorities in Bangladesh were not facing any persecution and that a harmonious environment prevailed in the country. However, the reality paints a completely different picture. 

Press & Public Statement: JMBF Strongly Condemns the Continuous Attacks on Minorities in Bangladesh and Demands Immediate International Intervention

(বাংলায় বিবৃতিটি পড়তে, অনুগ্রহপূর্বক ইংরেজি ভার্ষণের শেষে দেখুন)

Paris, France | March 18, 2025: France-based human rights watchdog JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) strongly condemns the ongoing violence and systematic persecution of religious minorities and indigenous communities in Bangladesh during the tenure of the current interim government led by former Nobel Laureate for Peace, Professor Muhammad Yunus. The recent surge in murders, rapes, religious persecution, and the destruction of homes and businesses exposes a severe human rights crisis and clear violations of fundamental rights, demanding urgent action from the international community.

Escalating Religious Violence Under Yunus's Rule: Attacks on Shrines and the Government’s Mysterious Silence

Advocate Shahanur Islam

On the night of March 16, 2025, a brutal attack took place at the Ismail Shah shrine in Amtali, Barguna, during the annual Urs celebration, leaving at least 20 people injured. Eyewitnesses report that local leaders of the Islamic Movement of Bangladesh led a group of over a hundred individuals who demanded the cessation of shrine worship and musical performances. When their demands were refused, violence erupted. The attackers set fire to the shrine’s tents and meeting halls, looted donation boxes, and viciously assaulted Sufi followers. This is not an isolated incident but part of an ongoing pattern of religious violence across the country.

Press & Public Statement: JMBF Strongly Condemns the Communal Violence in Bangladesh and Protests Against Government Denial

Paris, France: February 5, 2025: The France-based legal and human rights organization, JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), strongly condemns the alarming rise in communal violence targeting religious and ethnic minorities in Bangladesh between August 21, 2024, and December 31, 2024. According to credible reports from the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, 174 incidents of violence occurred during this period, resulting in the tragic deaths of 23 individuals from minority communities. These atrocities included 9 horrific cases of torture, rape, and gang rape of women, attacks on 64 places of worship, the destruction and looting of 38 homes and businesses, and the forcible occupation of 25 properties. Additionally, 15 individuals were arrested and tortured on baseless allegations of insulting religion.

JMBF asserts that such systematic violence against minority communities is a blatant violation of fundamental human rights and an assault on the principles of justice, equality, and religious freedom. It is deeply disturbing that, instead of addressing these grave issues, the interim government of Bangladesh, through the Chief Advisor's Press Wing, has chosen to deny and dismiss these incidents as mere political propaganda.

Press & Public Statement: JMBF Strongly Condemns the Recent Violent Attacks on Cultural and Spiritual Heritage Sites in Bangladesh

Paris, France; January 12, 2024 – The France-based human rights organization, JusticiteMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), strongly condemns and protests the recent attacks on the Hazrat Shah Sufi Syed Kalu Shah (RA) Shrine in Mymensingh on January 8, 2025, the Al Chishti Shrine in Natore on the night of December 30, 2024, and the Doja Pir Shrine in Sherpur on November 26 and 28, 2024, by radical Islamic fundamentalist groups.

JMBF believes that this wave of extremist violence targeting cultural and spiritual heritage sites in Bangladesh represents an alarming escalation of intolerance, sectarian violence, and fundamentalist aggression against Bangladesh’s centuries-old traditions of Sufism and spiritual practices. These attacks are clear violations of human rights and religious freedom.

Statement: JMBF Expresses Grave Concern Over Harassment and Abuse of Minority Communities in Chittagong

Paris, France; December 30, 2024:  France-based human rights organisation JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) expresses deep concern over the widespread harassment, extortion, and abuse of power targeting vulnerable Hindu religious and Dalit minority communities in Chittagong. These actions, perpetrated by law enforcement under the guise of investigating the tragic murder of lawyer Saiful Islam (Alif) at the Chittagong court premises, reveal a lack of impartiality and fairness in the investigative process.  

JMBF strongly urges the government to ensure the safety, dignity, and protection of marginalized groups, including the Harijan community. The incidents of vandalism, harassment, and communal violence following the murder of lawyer Saiful Islam must be thoroughly investigated, and the perpetrators must be held accountable without delay.

STATEMENT: JMBF Calls on EU Ambassadors to Raise Concerns About Gross Human Rights Violations in Bangladesh Under the Present Interim Government During Meeting with the Chief Adviser

Paris, France; December 8, 2024: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), a France base human rights organisation urgently appeals to Ambassadors from all European Union (EU) countries to collectively address the ongoing and egregious human rights violations in Bangladesh under the interim government led by Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus. These violations have intensified following the mass uprisings of August 5, 2024, which led to the collapse of the Bangladesh Awami League-led government. The upcoming meeting between EU heads of mission and the Chief Adviser on December 9, 2024, offers a crucial opportunity for the international community to stand for justice, human rights, and the rule of law in Bangladesh.

Would Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu Have Been Arrested If He Had Remained Silent?

Advocate Shahanur Islam & Mosa. Jannatul Ferdaus

The arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu, a revered Hindu monk and vocal minority rights advocate in Bangladesh, has sparked intense debates on justice, dissent, and minority rights. Charged with sedition and allegedly desecrating the national flag during a protest against violence targeting Hindus, Prabhu’s detention raises a critical question: Would he have faced the same fate had he remained silent about the suffering of the Hindu minority?

STATEMENT: JMBF is Deeply Concerned and Condemns the Killing of Lawyer Saiful Islam and Police Brutality During Protests in Chittagong

Paris, France; November 28, 2024: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) unequivocally expresses its deep concern and condemnation of the brutal killing of lawyer Saiful Islam, a 32-year-old member of the Chattogram District Bar Association and Assistant Public Prosecutor at the Chattogram Court, during the violent clashes on November 26, 2024. This heinous crime, committed amid a chaotic confrontation between law enforcement and protesters supporting Hindu religious leader and Spokesperson of the United Sanatoni Jagoran Alliance, Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, is a grave attack on justice and the legal community.

JMBF also strongly denounces police brutality during the protests, where law enforcement agencies, including the police and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), resorted to batons and sound grenades, injuring at least 10 people. The indiscriminate violence against protesters is a clear violation of their fundamental rights to peaceful assembly and expression. Such actions only exacerbate tensions and undermine the rule of law.

STATEMENT: JMBF Deeply Concerned and Condemns the Arrest and Detention of Chinmoy Krishna Das: Urges Immediate Unconditional Release

Paris, France; November 26, 2024: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), a France-based human rights organization, expresses its profound outrage and strongest condemnation of the unjust arrest and detention of Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, a revered Hindu priest and leading advocate for minority rights in Bangladesh.

His abrupt apprehension on November 25, 2024, at Hazrat Shah Jalal International Airport in Dhaka and subsequent transfer to Chattogram under fabricated charges of sedition, represent yet another dark chapter in the systematic suppression of minority voices and democratic freedoms in Bangladesh under the interim government led by Nobel laureate Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus.

STATEMENT: JMBF Welcomes UN High Commissioner Volker Türk’s Visit to Bangladesh, Calling for Urgent Action on Human Rights Violations and Judicial Independence

Paris, France | October 29, 2024 – JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) welcomes the visit of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Volker Türk, to Bangladesh from October 29 to 30, 2024. This visit comes at a critical moment, as Bangladesh faces urgent human rights concerns under the interim government led by Nobel laureate Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus, alongside documented abuses under the previous government led by Bangladesh Awami League President Sheikh Hasina.

JMBF believes this visit provides a pivotal opportunity to address Bangladesh’s human rights and rule-of-law challenges following Sheikh Hasina’s resignation on August 5, 2024, and the interim government’s assumption of power on August 8, 2024.

STATEMENT: JMBF Vehemently Condemns Religious Disruption at JM Sen Hall Puja Mandap, Chittagong

Paris, France; October 11, 2024 – JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) vehemently condemns the shocking and deliberate disruption of religious harmony at the JM Sen Hall Puja Mandap in Chittagong on October 10, 2024. Six members of the Chittagong Cultural Academy, a group linked to the Islamic fundamentalist political party Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, infiltrated the celebration of Durga Puja—a major Hindu religious event—under false pretenses. After deceptively obtaining permission to perform patriotic songs, they audaciously staged an Islamic musical performance in the middle of a dance show during the Hindu religious program.

STATEMENT: JMBF Calls for UN Intervention to Address Violence Against Minority Communities in Bangladesh

Paris, France; September 13, 2024: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) is deeply alarmed by the recent wave of violent attacks targeting minority communities in Bangladesh following the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024. The destruction of homes, businesses, and places of worship—particularly those belonging to Hindu, Christian, Ahmadiyya, and ethnic minority communities—represents a grave violation of human rights and threatens the safety and dignity of these vulnerable populations.

STATEMENT: JMBF Gravely Concerned Over Attacks on Sufi Shrines; Urges Upholding Religious Freedom in Bangladesh

Paris, France; September 10, 2024: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) is profoundly concerned about the recent surge of attacks on Sufi shrines and religious sites across Bangladesh, which have intensified following the resignation of the former Awami League government on August 5, 2024. These acts of violence and vandalism not only erode religious harmony but also jeopardize the country’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage.

STATEMENT: JMBF Strongly Condemns and Protests the Brutal Attack Against a Hindu Teenager Due to Alleged Blasphemy

Paris, France; September 05, 2024: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) vehemently condemns the violent assault on a 16-year-old minority Hindu boy from Khulna, Bangladesh, who was brutally beaten by a radical Islamic mob on the night of September 4, 2024. This heinous act, committed under the pretext of blasphemy accusations for allegedly insulting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), is a flagrant violation of human rights, freedom of speech, and the rule of law. Such violence cannot and must not be tolerated in a just and humane society.

STATEMENT: JMBF Strongly Condemns the Forced Resignation of Minority Hindu Teachers in Bangladesh

Paris, France: September 02, 2024: JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) vehemently condemns and protests the forced resignation of at least 49 religious minority Hindu teachers in Bangladesh due to their religious affiliation as of September 30, 2024, following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Bangladesh Awami League Government.

STATEMENT: JMBF Calls on OHCHR to Investigate All Violence Before and After the Fall of Hasina's Government

Paris, France; August 23, 2024 – JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) is profoundly alarmed by the recent surge of violence in Bangladesh during the Anti-Discriminatory Student Movement and following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in July-August 2024.

JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France Joins Protest in Paris Against Minority Repression in Bangladesh

Members of JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) gathered at Place de la République today on August 12, 2024 to protest against the ongoing repression of minority communities in Bangladesh. The demonstration was part of a broader international effort to draw attention to the increasing violence and discrimination faced by religious minorities in Bangladesh.

Advocate Shanur Islam, the founder and President of JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France, attended the protest, passionately advocating for the safety and rights of minority communities. He called on the Bangladeshi government to take immediate action to protect all minority groups and to impose exemplary punishments on those responsible for the atrocities.

STATEMENT: JMBF Strongly Condemns Recent Attacks on Religious Minorities in Bangladesh and Calls for Immediate International Action

Paris, France; August 8, 2024— JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) strongly condemns and protests against the recent wave of violent attacks against religious minorities across Bangladesh, as reported in multiple sources. These incidents, which have targeted homes, places of worship, and businesses belonging to Hindu, Ahmadiyya, and other minority communities, represent a grave breach of human rights and a serious threat to the principles of tolerance and coexistence.

We express our deepest concern over the reports of widespread vandalism, killing, arson, looting, and physical assault. The attacks, which have led to significant property damage, personal injuries, and the displacement of innocent individuals, must be met with the strongest possible response from national and international authorities.