বৃহস্পতিবার, ০১ অক্টোবর ২০২৬, ১১:৪৪ অপরাহ্ন
Staff Reporter :
Recently, a news report was published alleging that NGOs and missionaries in the Rohingya refugee camps are engaging in the conversion of Rohingya people to Christianity under the guise of providing humanitarian assistance. Representatives of the individuals and organizations concerned have strongly rejected and protested against various statements, allegations, and information presented in the report.
The protesters stated that the report contains serious allegations that were not properly verified. In particular, they said that the report failed to provide reliable, documented, and independently verifiable evidence to support allegations that Rohingya people were being converted to Christianity in exchange for financial assistance, employment opportunities, educational programs, marriage, or humanitarian aid.
They claimed that presenting alleged complaints obtained from various individuals as established facts without proper verification could give readers a misleading impression. They emphasized that when publishing serious allegations against any individual or organization, it is a fundamental responsibility of journalism to obtain responses from the parties concerned, verify relevant documents, and confirm information through independent sources.
The protesters further stated that the primary purpose of organizations providing humanitarian assistance is to ensure necessary support for people affected by disasters and displacement. They said that specific evidence should be available before food, healthcare, education, livelihoods, child protection, or other humanitarian activities are portrayed as being connected to religious conversion.
The published report named several individuals and accused them of providing financial assistance, conducting religious activities, taking people abroad, and assisting in religious conversion. According to the protesters, the positions and responses of the individuals concerned were not adequately presented in relation to these allegations. As a result, they believe that the report was one-sided.
They further argued that before identifying an individual’s personal religious identity or decision to change religion as part of a planned activity by an organization or institution, the matter should be thoroughly investigated. Without the individual’s own statement, relevant organizational records, financial transaction information, and other reliable evidence, reaching such conclusions could be misleading.
They also alleged that the language used in the published report could create the impression that all NGO and missionary activities are essentially the same. However, different organizations operate for different purposes, and the nature of their activities varies considerably. Therefore, if allegations are made against a particular individual or organization, responsibility should not be generalized to all NGOs or humanitarian organizations.
They emphasized that it is inappropriate to hold any NGO or individual responsible without properly establishing the facts. Such allegations can create misunderstandings and may lead to harassment.
In this regard, the concerned news outlet has been asked to clarify the sources of the information presented in the report, the methods used to verify the information, and the basis for the allegations. At the same time, the protesters called on the media outlet to correct any inaccurate or incomplete information that may have been published and to provide readers with accurate information.
They stated that people living in the Rohingya refugee camps are free to practice their respective religions. They said that spreading such misinformation or propaganda against Christians is inappropriate. According to them, such campaigns are causing Christians living in the camps to face threats and insecurity. They therefore called for an end to the dissemination of unverified allegations and urged all concerned to uphold religious harmony and peaceful coexistence in the camps.
