JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) Thank you Madame Chair for giving the opportunity to speak today. Ladies and gentlemen, I am representing JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF), I would like to highlight a key barrier that contributes to hindering trust and peaceful coexistence for minority communities in Bangladesh. Despite constitutional guarantees, religious minorities, indigenous people, linguistic minorities, and marginalized and gender-diverse groups, particularly LGBTQ individuals, continue to face discrimination, intimidation, and targeted persecution. These challenges weaken social cohesion, and erode confidence in state institutions. Impunity remains a central concern. Recent [inaudible] findings indicate that nearly 400 marginalized, gender-diverse and LGBTQ individuals have faced persecution in the past year. On 13 November, Professor [inaudible] of Dhaka University. On 26 January, Professor [inaudible], Professor [inaudible] of [inaudible] Islamic University was suspended. On 10 August, transgender student [inaudible] was expelled from [inaudible] University. And in July, 7 students at Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology were expelled from the residence hall, solely because of their sexual orientation and gender identity. In November, two Hindu civil servants [inaudible] were dismissed without formal justification, reportedly due to their religious identity. Such actions deepen fear and mistrust within affected communities. To foster trust and peaceful coexistence, we urge impartial investigation, [cut off by Chair].

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