A group of Bangladeshi political activists, who are currently living in Europe, gathered near the ‘Broken Chair’ sculpture in front of the United Nations in Geneva to condemn the religious extremism and terrorism perpetrated by Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami in the South Asian country.

The activists held the demonstration and banner campaign during the 54th Session of the UN Human Rights Council.

Organised by the Forum for Secular Bangladesh, the theme was ‘Zero tolerance against religious extremism and terrorism in Bangladesh’, reported ANI.

European Freedom Fighters Associations Bangladesh and Switzerland Chapter of Bangladesh also joined these activists and raised slogans accusing BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami as collaborators of terrorism, the Indian news agency reported.

They termed them as human rights violators who were responsible for killing secular Bangladesh Army personnel during their rule.

Nazrul Islam, president of Switzerland Awami League, told ANI, “We are here to recognise the genocide of 1971 and we are demanding the United Nations and other international community to recognise the genocide in Bangladesh, and Pakistan’s brutal army have to apologise Bangladesh.”

Khalilur Rehman, a Bangladeshi human rights activist living in Switzerland, even accused the West of backing Khalida Zia-led BNP party.

He told ANI, “We are observing in Bangladesh that the United States is backing Jamaat-e-Islami and BNP to destroy the country. We gained independence in 1971 by a revolution and we will not allow any such conspiracy.”