B'desh Authorities Under Fire Over 'Sustained Harassment Campaign' Against Hindu Women's Rights Activist

(MENAFN- IANS) Dublin, Oct 10 (IANS) A leading international human rights organisation has raised the alarm over targeted attacks against Bangladeshi Hindu woman human rights defender Shampa Goswami, warning that the harassment is rooted in her gender and minority identity amid a wider climate of violence and discrimination against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.

Ireland-based rights group Front Line Defenders (FLD) expressed grave concern over the travel ban imposed on Goswami by Bangladeshi authorities and a police investigation ordered against her by Bangladesh's Ministry of Home Affairs.

The rights body said that these measures form part of a“sustained campaign of stigmatisation, harassment and administrative obstruction” against the woman human rights defender, her family and PRERONA, the women-led organisation she heads in Satkhira district of Bangladesh.

According to FLD, following the imposition of a travel restriction, Goswami was stopped at the airport on August 21 this year and prevented from travelling to Bali, Indonesia, where she was scheduled to participate in an international conference. On September 20, she filed a writ petition before Bangladesh's High Court challenging the travel ban and is awaiting a hearing date.

The rights body further said that Goswami received a letter on September 28, informing her that the Ministry of Home Affairs had ordered the Inspector General of Police to investigate allegations of corruption and misuse of funds against her.

Condemning the harassment, FLD said that“the gendered nature of the attacks against Shampa Goswami, which draw on her identity as a woman and as a member of a minority community, and take place in a wider context of violence against minorities in Bangladesh, where members of the Hindu community, Ahmadiyya Muslims and indigenous groups continue to face discriminatory practices.”

The rights body called on the Bangladeshi government to immediately lift the travel ban imposed on Goswami and cease all forms of harassment and intimidation against her, her family and PRERONA

FLD further urged the authorities to carry out a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation into the threats, extortion attempts and online harassment targeting Goswami, her daughters and PRERONA staff, and to bring those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards.

It also appealed to authorities to ensure that all human rights defenders in Bangladesh, including women human rights defenders and defenders from minority communities, can carry out their peaceful and legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free from arbitrary restrictions, including judicial and administrative harassment.

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