Dublin, October 10 (Daily Kiran) : A prominent international human rights organization has voiced serious concerns regarding ongoing attacks against Shampa Goswami, a Bangladeshi Hindu women’s rights activist. The organization warns that this harassment is linked to her gender and minority status, occurring within a broader context of violence and discrimination against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.
Front Line Defenders (FLD), based in Ireland, has expressed alarm over travel restrictions imposed on Goswami by Bangladeshi authorities and a police investigation ordered by the country’s Ministry of Home Affairs against her. The organization stated that these actions are part of a “continuous campaign of defamation, harassment, and administrative obstacles” targeting Goswami, her family, and her organization, ‘Prerna,’ which operates in the Satkhira district of Bangladesh.
According to FLD, on August 21 of this year, Goswami was stopped at the airport and barred from traveling to Bali, Indonesia, where she was scheduled to attend an international conference. On September 20, she filed a writ petition in the Bangladesh High Court challenging the travel ban and is currently awaiting a hearing date.
Further complicating matters, FLD reported that on September 28, Goswami received a letter informing her that the Ministry of Home Affairs had directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to investigate allegations of corruption and misuse of funds against her.
Condemning the harassment, FLD stated, “The nature of the attacks on Shampa Goswami is gender-based; these assaults are tied to her identity as a woman and a member of a minority community. They occur against the backdrop of widespread violence against minorities in Bangladesh, where members of the Hindu community, Ahmadiyya Muslims, and indigenous groups face persistent discriminatory treatment.”
The organization has called on the Bangladeshi government to immediately lift the travel ban on Goswami and cease any form of harassment or intimidation against her, her family, and ‘Prerna.’ FLD further urged authorities to conduct thorough and impartial investigations into threats, extortion attempts, and online harassment targeting Goswami, her daughters, and staff members of ‘Prerna,’ holding accountable those responsible according to international standards.
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