DHAKA: Several political parties in Bangladesh have strongly opposed the interim government’s decision to allow the establishment of a UN Human Rights office in the country.
The move, announced during an event organised by the radical Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam, has sparked widespread criticism.
The radical Islamist party held a roundtable discussion titled 'Assessing the Agreement on UN Human Rights Commission Office in Dhaka, ' at the Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital on Monday afternoon.
Hefazat's Secretary General Sajidur Islam stated that the decision to establish the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Dhaka goes against "the values of Islam" and promotes "western hegemony".
“Open discussions will have to be held with all political parties regarding the opening of this office. For the sake of the country and Islam, we will not be able to speak in the name of anyone, ” Bangladesh’s Bengali Newspaper Samakal quoted Hefazat-e-Islam Joint Secretary General Mamunul Haque as saying.
During the discussions, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed described the move as “unfair”. He urged the interim government to reconsider the decision to avoid what he called "international embarrasment for Bangladesh".