‘Extremists can be of any religion: B’desh advocate

Kolkata: Extremists can be of any religion, and religious fundamentalists, regardless of their faith, aim to destroy other religions at any cost, said Bangladeshi advocate and human rights activist Rabindra Ghosh on Tuesday. The advocate, who is keen to represent the former Iskcon monk Chinmoy Krishna Das who is currently behind bars in Bangladesh, is currently in India for medical treatment and is staying at his son's place in Barrackpore. "I am targetted in Bangladesh as I try to protect the rights of the minorities through legal means," said Ghosh, adding, "I am not here for any political reason. I have come only for treatment.""I am from Chitagong, the land of Masterda Surya Sen. I know how to claim our rights. I would prefer dying like a lion, not like a coward. I shall have to fight till death for the rights of oppressed minorities in Bangladesh," he said."Ghosh has been reaching out to the victims of religious hatred in Bangladesh for the past three decades," said Bimal Majumder of Bangladesh Udbastu Sansad in Kolkata. "His group, Bangladesh Minority Watch, has been doing extensive documentation of foul play, finding out facts and giving legal assistance to the victims of post-poll conversion, rape, forcible eviction and destruction of religious sites in Barishal, Natore, Bhola, Chitagong, Gopalganj, Rangpur and Dinajpur.The septuagenarian advocate had a busy Tuesday as locals, neighbours and Barrackpore court lawyers visited to express gratitude for his spirited fight. The lawyers discussed the Chinmoy Krishna Das case with him."We don't like any politics over my father's stay here. He is a freedom fighter of Bangladesh. He knows better which is good for his motherland," said Rahul, Ghosh's son. "Many of our close friends and neighbours want to meet him as they do every time. My father is very jovial and can endear even a stranger in no time," he added.