E/CN.4/2005/61/Add.1 Page 7 the Ministry of Religious Affairs chaired by the State Minister for Religious Affairs. The reason invoked was that these publications contain “objectionable materials ... which hurt or might hurt the sentiments of the majority Muslim population of Bangladesh”. Reports indicated that this decision was taken in the context of an intensifying campaign by certain groups, allegedly on the extreme religious right, demanding the enactment of a law declaring the Ahmadiyyas non-Muslims. The Ahmadiyya community in Bangladesh was reportedly subjected to repeated assaults on its mosques and on individual members of the community. It was reported that in one instance, a crowd led by the local mullah attacked the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community after Friday prayers in the village of Raghunathpurbag, Jessore district. The mosque was reportedly ransacked and the imam of the mosque was injured and died from his injuries as he was rushed to hospital. 21. The Special Rapporteur also brought to the attention of the Government that, in a separate incident, a local mullah threatened to kill members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Bhanipur, Kushtia district, if they did not renounce their faith. On 21 November 2003, a crowd reportedly led by the local mullah attempted to occupy the Ahmadiyya mosque in East Nakhalpara in Tejgaon, resulting in several people being injured. 22. By letter dated 24 May 2004, the Government of Bangladesh responded that the Constitution of Bangladesh provides protection to the rights of every citizen irrespective of faith, gender, creed and ethnicity. The fundamental rights guaranteed in the Constitution are in consonance with the standards enunciated in the International Bill of Human Rights. Like all communities, the Ahmadiyyas are not only guaranteed constitutional rights but also have equal access to all opportunities, including access to service of the Republic. Members of the community have risen to high levels of public service appointments, both in the civil and the military services. They enjoy freedom of worship and to propagate their religion. The community has its own religious centres and places of worship. The Government is committed to upholding their rights and providing security to community leaders as well as their places of worship, as guaranteed by the Constitution. In the face of the recent events, the Government has provided police protection to members of the community. Necessary measures were also taken by the Government to safeguard their mosques. Police was deployed to thwart attempts from certain quarters to march towards an Ahmadiyya mosque demanding that the community be declared non-Muslim. 23. The Government also declared that there will be no change in the religious status of the Ahmadiyyas. Some Ahmadiyya publications were, however, banned in view of the presence of material that might offend the sentiments of the majority Muslims of Bangladesh. 24. On 27 August 2004, the Special Rapporteur sent an urgent appeal to the Government of Bangladesh expressing her concerns about various incidents that had taken place over the previous days and, in particular, about further threats made by religious groups to attack members of religious minorities, especially the Ahmadiyyas and the Hindus. According to the information received, on 21 August 2004, Islamist leaders had allegedly threatened to attack the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jamaat religious community's headquarters in Dhaka on 27 August unless the