Rights Group Goes to Court Over Mistreatment of Minorities in Bangladesh
The Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Bangladesh Supreme Court to challenge what it calls “systemic abuse of false criminal cases” against Hindus and other religious minorities across the country.
Dhaka: The Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Bangladesh Supreme Court to challenge what it calls “systemic abuse of false criminal cases” against Hindus and other religious minorities across the country.
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In a strongly worded statement released on Monday, the rights group said the PIL aims to expose how legal systems are being manipulated to harass, intimidate, and dispossess minority communities, particularly in regions like Chittagong city.
Monks, Activists Targeted in Fabricated Cases
The PIL centers on the case of Chinmoy Krishna Brahmachari, a respected monk and social reformer, who was allegedly arrested on baseless sedition charges, a violation of Section 196 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which allows only the state to file such charges.
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Despite growing public outrage and the lack of legal merit, Chinmoy Krishna Das remains imprisoned, and his bail petition has been pending for months in the Appellate Division. He now faces multiple fabricated cases, including a false murder allegation, the HRCBM said.
“His only crime appears to be speaking the truth and defending the rights of Bangladesh’s marginalized communities,” the organization stated, calling his detention a “legal mockery”.
Mass Accusations and Legal Abuse
According to HRCBM’s investigation, between October 31 and December 19, 2024, a total of 15 criminal cases were registered, involving 5,701 individuals, many of whom were minorities accused without specific evidence.
The PIL accuses law enforcement and local actors of exploiting the FIR process, using vague or unidentified suspects to justify arbitrary arrests. These tactics, the group says, violate both constitutional rights and basic principles of justice.
“False criminal cases now represent a new frontier of persecution — silent, systemic, and deeply damaging,” said the HRCBM.
PIL Demands Judicial Reforms
The petition demands the following:
- Mandatory preliminary investigations before filing FIRs in vulnerable cases
- Disciplinary action against officers involved in malicious prosecution
- Formation of a judicial inquiry commission to examine the misuse of criminal law
- Court directives to prevent the mass targeting of minority communities
The HRCBM says its action is a “cry for justice” in a nation burdened with over 3.9 million pending cases, many of which are alleged to be politically or communally motivated.
