Dhaka: An international report issued on Monday said that by using force and denying justice, the Bangladesh government has provided extremists “an opportunity to exploit the resultant alienation and justify their anti-state agenda”. The Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) said the government needs to recognise that “it is in its interest to change course, lest it fail to either contain violent extremism or counter political threats”, bdnews24 reported.
The independent and non-profit body also suggested that the US and the European Union should pressurise Dhaka “using its economic levers” to respect civil and political rights. It has also called upon India “using close ties” to urge the ruling Awami League to allow the opposition legitimate political expression and participation.
“There is no time to lose,” according to its new report on “Political Conflict, Extremism and Criminal Justice in Bangladesh”. The Crisis Group is also critical to the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), established in 2010 to prosecute individuals responsible for atrocities committed during the 1971 liberation war. It termed the ICT “deeply flawed” and said it was “an important example of the dangers of using rule of law institutions for political ends”.
