BANGLADESH, April 28, 2017 (Dhaka Tribune): A sharp spike in attacks, particularly on religious minorities and foreigners, in recent months in Bangladesh has heightened the sense of fear among different religious groups in the country, says a report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). The attacks on religious minorities, particularly the Hindus, were either claimed by extremist groups – Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Ansar al-Islam, and Islamic State – or were attributed to them.
The USCIRF made a number of recommendations to the US including providing technical assistance and encourage Bangladesh to further develop its national counter-terrorism strategy. It also suggests urging Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and government officials to “frequently and publicly denounce religiously divisive language and acts of religiously motivated violence and harassment.”