Dhaka, 25 July 2025
Leaders of Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam have expressed deep concern and strong objection to the government’s decision to establish the office of the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Dhaka.
According to the protesters, although a foreign affairs advisor of the government claimed the decision was made “in the interest of Bangladesh,” this interest is not clear to the nation. They asserted that Bangladesh is an independent and sovereign state, with its own constitution, judiciary, and human rights commission, and therefore the permanent presence of international observer organizations is not acceptable. The leaders argued that such an office would create opportunities for foreign interference in the internal affairs of the country, ultimately affecting Bangladesh’s culture, religious values, and social unity.
These remarks were made during a protest march and mass meeting organized by Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Bangladesh at the north gate of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque following Friday prayers on July 25. The event was chaired by Jamiat’s Senior Vice President Maulana Abdur Rab Yusufi, and addressed by Secretary General Maulana Manjurul Islam Afendi, Senior Joint Secretary General Maulana Baha Uddin Zakaria, Joint Secretary General Mufti Monir Hossain Qasemi, Joint Secretary General Maulana Matiur Rahman Gazipuri, Assistant Secretary General Maulana Zainul Abedin, Joint Organizing Secretary Mufti Nasir Uddin Khan, Publicity Secretary Mufti Imranul Bari Siraji, and others.
Additionally, human chains and protest rallies against the UN Human Rights Office were held in Faridpur, as well as protest gatherings at Dhaka University, Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, and various other locations across the country.
Speakers at these protests made openly anti-LGBTQ+, anti-feminist, and anti-indigenous statements. They alleged that the Human Rights Office would impose foreign Western culture on Bangladesh, conspire to create a separate state for indigenous peoples, support activities deemed against religion and national values, and interfere with the country’s sovereignty.
At Dhaka University, the protest was led by a group called “Students for Sovereignty.” This organization previously protested at the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) to demand the removal of the word “indigenous” from textbooks, after which the government complied, removing both the word and a related graffiti. The same organization and its leader have been accused of attacking indigenous students’ rights movements and perpetrating widespread physical abuse, yet the government has not arrested or taken disciplinary action against its leader.
At Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, some right-wing Islamist students also protested, carrying banners displaying the logo of the Human Rights Office and a cross symbol above the LGBTIQ+ flag, symbolizing their opposition to both international oversight and LGBT rights.
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