Dr. Rayhan Rashid:
Madam president, state of minority rights was never great in Bangladesh. Their representation in media, particularly in social media has always been rife with ecapegoating, dehumanising, polarizing, hate-speech and disinformation. But in the last 100 days under the new regime in Bangladesh, led by a Nobel peace laureate the situation has raised such a critical stage that the world must now pay urgent attention.
The situation has reached such a stage that the world must now pay attention. As I speak, just an hour ago Hindu temples, businesses, households including women and girls in Patharghata area of Chittagong were attacked by islamist mobs. The call to attack was issued from the mosque during today’s weekly Friday prayers spread through social media.
I know the locality very well, it’s where my old high school is located. Please note, according to today’s reports, Patharghata is one of 20 areas attacked from all over Bangladesh. The problem is, little of these incidents are getting attention of the mainstream media. About the local Bangladeshi media, I can tell how muzzled it’s now. TV channels and newspaper offices have been burnt and seized. Hundred of journalists have been threatened, attacked, shunned and black listed, sacked from jobs implicated false ridiculous criminal charges, such as, murder genocide and even crime against humanity. Those are the charges. The pictures are indeed grim. Do not take my words, please follow the evidence. Let’s not allow us to be misled by any government’s own version of things.