Countering evil designs
To put a check on relentless killing and torture of minorities in Bangladesh, security agencies, on instruction of the government, must step up their vigil
Bangladesh has lately come into notice for repeated attacks on Hindu minorities by a section of fanatics who tend to vitiate the communal atmosphere in the country for asserting Islamic fundamentalism. Sadly, social media is playing a very negative role in poisoning the minds of the majority community. Such unbridled and irresponsible acts resulted in a large number of desecrations of Hindu temples and immovable and movable property in the district of Narail. The communal frenzy, coupled with aggressive violence, has led to a huge sense of fear and insecurity amongst minority Hindus all across Bangladesh, particularly in Narail.
Meanwhile, many detractors of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ruling Awami League (AL) have started blaming the ruling party cadres for instilling fear amongst the Hindus in order to usurp their property. Significantly, the village (Lohagara) in Narail which was the target of communal attacks last week is predominantly inhabited by 110 Hindu families as against only around 15 Muslim households. Prima facie, investigations reveal that there were sinister and communally surcharged posts on Facebook, which proved to be the immediate cause of communal onslaught against the Hindus. Knowledgeable sources also confirmed that it was part of a larger design of a pre-meditated blueprint, possibly in connivance with extraneous forces. Sadly again, around 700-800 hardened Islamists carried out the attacks, which comprised many students from the local Madrassas and other miscreants. The local MP and former Bangladesh Test cricketer, Mashrafe-bin-Mortaza was vague in his reactions and was evasive on a pinpointed question on whether the majority community had perpetrated the attacks. Coincidentally, some time ago, one respected Hindu teacher in Narail was garlanded with shoes, which was seen as yet another incident fueling communal tension in the region to pressurise the Hindus.
In the meantime, according to a press briefing by the Hindu Combined Alliance, since January 1 this year till June 30, 79 Hindus have been murdered, 145 attempts were made to kill Hindus and 620 Hindus were threatened to face dire consequences. Furthermore, 156 Hindu temples were pillaged, and 27,02,83,000 Bangladeshi takas were extorted by fanatic musclemen. Also, there were 343 cases of arson; 2,159 acres of land were forcibly occupied; and 17 houses and 29 temple sites were grabbed. Such unfortunate acts have led to 154 families fleeing the country. Over and above, 219 Hindu idols were vandalised. Additionally, 13 cases of rape, three murders after rape, and 77 incidents of abduction were reported. Lamentably, 8,563 Hindus were forcibly converted to Islam. Such statistics are self-explanatory, and though they may be contested by the majority population, they clearly indicate a trend of ongoing persecution of the Hindus.
Judging by these unpleasant developments, it would appear that a large section of majority zealots is trying to foster communal violence on the otherwise peaceful secular fabric of Bangladesh where a large number of liberals and forward-thinking elements have always been trying to maintain a communal balance. They are consistently on alert to see that Hindu minorities do not leave Bangladesh for India out of fear and insecurity generated by the atrocities of some communal-minded majority elements. However, a segment of the progressive society also suspects the hands of some vested quarters that are possibly interested in intimidating Hindus so that, under pressure, they leave the country and their property could easily be taken over.
Next year, heat will be turned on for the upcoming Parliamentary elections, and Hindus, who form a formidable vote bank in Bangladeshi politics, may be reluctant to vote for the ruling party on the grounds of its alleged failure in protecting the lives and holdings of the minority population. This said, it will perhaps be unfair to put the blame on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for playing a communal card, or for her alleged failure in ensuring minority security. This is because Hasina herself is strongly believed to be a supporter and sympathiser of the Hindus, notwithstanding electoral reasons. At this juncture, the Prime Minister needs to display more political dexterity and astuteness to give a feeling of comfort and security to the Hindus not only for votes but also to preempt any opportunity by the opposition BNP and other communal political parties to exploit the Hindu vulnerability. There is no doubt that Jamaat-e-Islami stands forbidden to contest elections but we should not forget that the Jamaat and pro-Pakistan Jihadi elements are active in collaboration with many in communal parties, and they should not be allowed to raise their ugly head to propel politics of hate leading to riots, desecration of Hindu temples or other forms of organised crime. In this, Bangladesh’s intelligence agencies are required to exercise maximum vigilance to foil the evil designs aimed at the minority. Any laxity in this regard is likely to prove suicidal for the Prime Minister and her party, and as a cascading effect, it will encourage anti-India forces to impair Indo-BD relations. Prominent political commentator and journalist Syed Badrul Ahsan, in a recent article on the development, states, “Nothing can be a bigger sin than for a state born of secular ideals to be mute witness to that principle flagrantly violated by dark elements out on a mission to wipe out a significant segment of the Bengali nation. Assertive political leadership is called for”.
A large number of liberals and forwardthinking individuals in Bangladesh are consistently on alert to see that Hindu minorities do not leave the country out of fear and insecurity generated by the atrocities of some communalminded majority elements