POBNEWS24, Dhaka Dec 24, 2024 : US National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan spoke to the interim government of Bangladesh’s chief advisor, Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, over the phone on the issue of protecting the security and rights of religious minorities and protecting the interests of all people. The telephone conversation is now the talk of the town in Bangladesh even before US President Donald Trump takes office.
Meanwhile, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar left for the United States before attending the inauguration ceremony. PTI reported that Jaishankar’s visit is for 5 days. His program in the United States began on Tuesday (December 24). He will be in Washington until December 29. In a statement on Monday (December 23), the Ministry of External Affairs said that Foreign Minister S Jaishankar will be in the United States from December 24 to 29. During this visit, he will discuss various bilateral, regional and international issues. He will hold meetings with the Indian ambassador to the United States and officials of the Foreign Ministry. It is learned that during this visit, Jaishankar will meet with outgoing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. He may also meet outgoing US President Joe Biden and new US President Donald Trump. He will convey Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message to them. It is believed that during this visit, Jaishankar may also discuss the situation in Bangladesh in detail. Earlier, Trump was seen giving a strong message about Hindu persecution in Bangladesh. In addition, Dhaka has officially written to Delhi seeking Sheikh Hasina’s extradition. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is not willing to comment on this right now. In this environment, some analysts believe that Jaishankar’s visit to America is quite significant. For the past four years, the US Congress’s human rights report during Joe Biden’s tenure has been criticized for incidents such as minority oppression, caste discrimination, and violence in Manipur. His visit is being viewed with great importance.
It is learnt that S Jaishankar had raised the issue of Sheikh Hasina’s asylum in India in Parliament and he is the one who is looking after the relations between the two countries, according to the information received so far. At the diplomatic level, Bangladesh wants to get Sheikh Hasina back under the prisoner exchange agreement. Bangladesh sent a letter on December 23 on this issue, but Delhi has not responded so far. However, a source said on condition of anonymity that there is doubt whether any political person who has been granted political asylum will fall under this. The prisoner exchange agreement was made for the purpose of combating terrorism and security of the two countries. The source is doubtful about how much it will be possible to get Sheikh Hasina back under this agreement.
It is the national right of each person to practice their religion. To what extent do the minorities have the right to security of religious minorities and the kind of enthusiasm that is necessary among them, and if they have, then why should bursting crackers and flying colored lanterns be prohibited? Bangladesh’s law enforcement agency, the Rapid Action Battalion, has imposed restrictions on the Christian community’s big day on December 25. Restrictions have also been imposed on movement. RAB said that to deal with any emerging situation, check posts have been set up at important points including churches and churches in all metropolitan cities, district towns and upazilas, a sufficient number of patrols have been deployed and intelligence surveillance in white clothes has been increased. Necessary security measures will be taken to prevent sabotage activities by collecting advance information about conspirators, instigators, extremist organizations and organized criminal gangs. In addition, the elite force RAB is always ready to foil any kind of sabotage plan. RAB has taken preventive measures including increasing strict intelligence surveillance to prevent conspirators from taking steps against the public interest with political malice around the Christmas festival.
So the question arises about getting rights. Why should the protection of minority rights be subject to strict surveillance and security? Did we wage the liberation war in 1971, regardless of party or ideology, to get these rights? This is the voice of the minority people.
However, in Yunus’s phone call, both sides expressed their commitment to protecting the rights of all people, regardless of religion.
At the same time, the US National Security Advisor also mentioned the continued support of the United States in addressing the challenges that Bangladesh is facing.
This information was given in a statement published on the White House website on Monday (December 23) local time.
The statement said, “National Security Advisor Jack Sullivan spoke today with Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor to the Interim Government of Bangladesh. Sullivan thanked the Chief Advisor for his leadership of Bangladesh during this challenging time.”
The White House statement said, “Jack Sullivan reiterated the United States’ support for a prosperous, stable, and democratic Bangladesh. He also mentioned the continued support of the United States in addressing the challenges that Bangladesh has faced.”
Meanwhile, a heroic freedom fighter in Comilla was severely harassed by wearing a chain of shoes around his neck. His crime was that he fought the liberation war against the Pakistani occupying forces in 1971. The question of which right falls under the jurisdiction of millions of freedom fighters in 1971 is a question for millions of freedom fighters. In protest against the incident of tying a chain of shoes around the neck of a heroic freedom fighter from Chauddagram in Comilla, Abdul Hai alias Kanu, a human chain was formed in front of Doel Chattar in the Upazila Sadar on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway at around 11 am today, Tuesday. The freedom fighters of the upazila formed the human chain.
More than fifty freedom fighters participated in the program under the banner of ‘Freedom fighters of Chauddagram Upazila’. At that time, they raised various slogans including ’71’s weapon roar again’, ‘Why attack brave freedom fighter Kanu, administration wants an answer’, ‘I have given blood, I will give more blood’.
Former deputy commander of Comilla District Freedom Fighters’ Sangsad, veteran freedom fighter Shailpati Nandan Chowdhury, former commander of Chauddagram Upazila Pramod Ranjan Chakraborty, Abul Hashem, Abdul Barik, Shamsul Haque, vice-president of Upazila Freedom Fighters’ Sons’ Sangsad Abdul Halim Chowdhury, among others, addressed the human chain.
Police have arrested 5 people after seeing the video footage of freedom fighter Abdul Hai Kanu (78) being flogged with a shoe chain and threatened to throw him out of the area. They were arrested in a raid on Monday (December 23) night.
Meanwhile, during the anti-discrimination student movement, Md. A case has been filed against 63 people, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Jail Superintendent Subhash Kumar Ghosh, for the murder of a prisoner named Javed.
The cousin of the deceased and the prisoner injured in the prison during the incident, Shikder Liton, filed a case in the court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Mahfuzur Rahman in Dhaka on Tuesday (December 24). The court, after recording the statement of the plaintiff, ordered the Keraniganj Model Police Station to submit an investigation report within the next 5 working days on whether the victim died and whether any case has been filed in the incident. The plaintiff’s lawyer Mahmudul Alam Shaheen gave this information.
