E/CN.4/1995/91
page 18
It is reported that, in the absence of a reply to several requests
addressed to the Ministry of Education on 25 September 1978,
3 December 1980, 22 June 1987 and 21 July 1990, the Jehovah’s Witnesses
lodged a complaint with the Constitutional Court on 18 October 1991;
that, on 25 June 1992, the Constitutional Court rejected that complaint
on the grounds that it was a matter for the administrative jurisdiction;
that, on 30 June 1992, an administrative jurisdiction also rejected the
complaint which had been referred to it; and that, on 12 October 1993, a
further request for official recognition as a religion was submitted to
the Constitutional Court, which rejected it on 10 March 1994."
Bangladesh
In an urgent appeal dated 3 August 1994, the Special Rapporteur
transmitted the following comments to the Government of Bangladesh:
"According to information received by the Special Rapporteur,
Ms. Taslima Nasrin, writer, would be the victim of persecutions by
religious extremists and has been forced into hiding.
The Special Rapporteur would like to express his deep concern and
would be grateful if your Government would provide him with any relevant
information as well as with its views and observations."
On 4 August 1994, the Permanent Mission of the People’s Republic of
Bangladesh to the United Nations Office at Geneva transmitted the following
information concerning the above allegations to the Special Rapporteur:
"I have the honour ... to state that the information received by
you about Ms. Taslima Nasreen is not correct. In fact, Ms. Nasreen, who
had been hiding since 4 June 1994 following the issuance of a warrant of
arrest against her, surrendered before the High Court on 3 August 1994
and was granted bail."
In a communication dated 23 August 1994 to the Government of Bangladesh,
the Special Rapporteur transmitted the following information:
"According to the information received, religious minorities,
mainly Hindu, Christian and Buddhist, have been the victims of acts of
religious intolerance, committed mainly by Muslim extremists.
In addition to the incidents of December 1992 affecting the Hindu
community (report E/CN.4/1994/79, para. 36), the Special Rapporteur was
informed that in June 1993 Muslim extremists again reportedly committed
acts of violence against Hindus at Rajahadi and allegedly caused the
destruction of the Rath Jatra festival. In July 1993, a Procession in
celebration of Lord Krishna’s Birthday was allegedly also violently
attacked by Muslim extremists, and hundreds of Hindus were injured. In
August 1993, 14 Hindu students are said to have protested against these
attacks in an attempt to demand justice, but were imprisoned by the
police.