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2013 Shapla Square protests

2013 mass protest in Bangladesh

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Through Bangladesh, Human Rights Watch and Muslims

Following the events at Motijheel, protests in other parts of the country also broke out, during which 27 people died, although different sources report casualty numbers ranging from 20 to 61. Human Rights Watch and other human rights organizations put the total death toll at above 50. Initial attempts to dispute the chain of events were thwarted due to the government closure of two television channels, Diganta Television and Islamic TV, which were live telecasting the operation.

Background

13 point demand

In early 2013, Hefajat-e Islam emerged as a pressure group composed of madrassah teachers and students, led by Shah Ahmad Shafi, rector of Hathazari Madrasah. The group became particularly active after allegations surfaced that some protesters in the Shahbag protests were involved in the publishing of content offensive to Muslims on blogs, including the depiction of Muhammad as a pornographic character. On 6 April 2013, its supporters made a long-march to promote their 13-point charter, which included:

  • Restoration the phrase "Complete faith and trust in the Almighty Allah" in the nation's constitution;
  • Enact a blasphemy law;
  • Taking measures for punishment of "atheist bloggers" who led the Shahbagh movement, and against anti-Islam activists who made "derogatory remarks" against the Muhammad;
  • Stopping "infiltration of all 'alien-culture', in the name of individual's freedom of expression, including free mixing of male and female" and candle lighting. Stopping harassment of women, open fornication and adultery, sexual harassment, all forms of violence against women and an end to the tradition of dowry;
  • Make Islamic education mandatory from primary to higher secondary levels, cancelling the women's, and anti-religion, education policy;
  • Declaration of Ahmadiyyas as non-Muslim;
  • Stopping the erection of statues to be popularly venerated, such as by the placement of flowers;
  • Lifting government restrictions on access to mosques across the country, including Baitul Mukarram National Mosque;
  • Stopping Islamophobic content in media;
  • Stopping activities by NGOs in the Chittagong Hill Tracts where Hefazat feared a "foreign conspiracy" to make a separate Christian state in that area;
  • Stop the extrajudicial killing of ulema;
  • Stopping the harassment of teachers and students of Qawmi madrassas and ulema;
  • Release of all ulema, and madrassa students, that had been arrested and the withdrawal of all cases filed against them, compensation for the victims, and bringing the assailants to justice.

The government responded by saying that it had "already met" many of the group's demands. This included the arrest of four bloggers for making derogatory comments against Muhammad.

Human Rights Watch warning

On 3 May 2013, Human Rights Watch issued warnings, based on information obtained from diplomatic missions regarding an imminent government crackdown, to security forces against committing excesses in the planned upcoming protests. It also urged the government to appoint an independent commission to investigate the killing of civilians since February, and prosecute those responsible for unlawful killings and use of force.

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