Protests held in Bangladesh's Dhaka over activist Karima Baloch's alleged assassination

Hundreds of protestors, on December 27, coalesced at the foot of Raju sculpture adjacent to Teacher-Student Centre in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. The demonstration was organized by Bangladesh Muktijuddha Mancha to voice against the “assassination” of Karima Baloch, a Pakistani human rights activist exiled in Canada. 37-year-old Baloch has been a staunch critic of the Pakistani administration and campaigned robustly for the freedom of Balochistan. She went missing on December 20 following which her corpse was later found.

“The killing of Karima Baloch, a female human rights activist in exile in Canada, has proved that the Pakistani government is a sponsor of terrorism and militancy. The Muslim genocide in Balochistan must be stopped. I demand exemplary punishment for those involved in the Baloch killings," Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik, Former Justice of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh was quoted as saying by ANI.

Read: Karima Baloch, Activist And Thorn In Pakistan's Side, Found Mysteriously Dead In Canada

'Build an international public opinion'

Demanding justice for Karima Baloch, Muktiyuddha Mancha urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh to build an international public opinion on the activist's killing in Canada and stopping of the Muslim genocide in Balochistan. "Otherwise, Bangladesh Muktijuddha Mancha will soon announce a tougher program," it said. 

Asserting that ISI had executed a “well-planned assassination”, Mancha condemned the attack on the Balochi. He also expressed solidarity with those demanding independence of Balochistan and said that it was “very logical” as Pakistan has presented itself as “ state sponsor” of terrorism time and again. "The Bengali world probably knows best how brutal, how inhuman and ruthless the torture of the Pakistani army can be. We have seen it from August 1947 to the last day of their reign in 1971,” it added.

Read: Karima Baloch's Kin Reveal Threats To Her Life; Canada's Trudeau Mum As Cops Turn Deaf Ear

“Pakistan's Punjabi army and fundamentalists are committing such horrible atrocities. The Balochs say that the Punjabis are torturing the Bengalis today as the Pak army did in 1971. They are students, lawyers, teachers, and politically conscious leaders and activists who have been the victims of these killings for decades,” Sculptor Rasha was quoted as saying by ANI.

Highlighting atrocities of the Pakistani army, Razsa said that over bullet-ridden bodies of over 1,000 people have been recovered from Balochistan in the last years. Out of the total, 51 per cent are Baloch and 22 per cent are Pakhtuns. So far 1838 people were killed and about 4,000 were injured in communal riots in the last few years in the province, Raza asserted citing an official survey.

Read: Karima Baloch's Demise: Toronto Police Suspects 'no Foul Play' In Activist's Death

Read: Karima Baloch's Kin Reveal Threats To Her Life; Canada's Trudeau Mum As Cops Turn Deaf Ear

(With inputs from ANI)