Daily Bulletin

  • Written by The Conversation
imagewe are bangla humanists space flag

I am one of the signatories of an open letter, organized by the International Humanist and Ethical Union, to the Prime Minister and President of Bangladesh. This protests the horrific situation for atheists, humanists, and secularist thinkers in Bangladesh - a situation in which the government is deeply and deplorably complicit.

Five bloggers have been murdered brutally in Bangladesh in the past two years - four of them since February this year. There have been numerous other murders and atrocities stemming from the activities and propaganda of religious extremists. Extremist groups continue to call for the violent suppression of atheistic, humanist, and secularist thought. Meanwhile, police have frequently engaged in victim blaming, and in their own attempts to expose and harm atheists and others who reject religion.

Alarmingly, the government has itself demonized free expression, has sought to appease the extremists, and has taken its own steps to suppress the views of atheists, humanists, and secularists. As recently as 9 August 2015, the Cabinet Committee for Law and Order decided “to declare Atheist authors as criminals” - making them subject to prosecution. Intelligence agencies have been asked to monitor blogs to find atheist writers.

The IHEU letter contains extensive detail. It concludes by imploring the Prime Minister and President to take decisive steps to ensure the safety of individuals whose lives are threatened by religious extremists, and to ensure Bangladesh’s compliance with international norms relating to freedom of conscience and expression.

Please check out the full text of the letter. This situation merits far more international outrage and protest than has been seen to date.

Disclosure

Russell Blackford is affiliated with humanist and secular organisations including the Center for Inquiry. He is a laureate of the international academy of humanism.

Authors: The Conversation

Read more http://theconversation.com/iheu-open-letter-to-prime-minister-and-president-of-bangladesh-46327

Business News

A Guide to Finance Automation Software

When running a business, it is critical to streamline certain processes to maintain efficiency. Too much to spent manually on tasks can wind up being detrimental to the overall health of the organis...

Daily Bulletin - avatar Daily Bulletin

Top Tips for Cost-effective Storefront Signage

The retail industry is highly competitive and if you are in the process of setting up a retail store, you have come to the right place, as we offer a few tips to help you create a stunning storefront...

Daily Bulletin - avatar Daily Bulletin

How Freight Forwarding Simplifies Global Trade Operations

Global trade operations are becoming increasingly complex due to international regulations, customs procedures, and the sheer scale of global logistics. For businesses looking to expand internation...

Daily Bulletin - avatar Daily Bulletin