| by Swadesh Roy
( April 1, 2-13, Dhaka, Sri Lanka Guardian) A new phenomenon has been emerged in Bangladesh that, every day in some parts of Bangladesh, some people are demolishing the temple or the statue of the Goddess of the Hindu community. Not only that, they are vandalizing the house and shop of Hindu owners and they often loot and arson it. Those people who are doing it, they are known by the affected; most of them are neighbors to them. They all belong to the politics of Jammate-E- Islami Bangladesh (Jammat) or Bangladesh National party (BNP). One of the vernacular and rightist linen Bengali newspapers of Bangladeshhas published news that, in the last 24 days the Jammat and BNP had attacked at least three hundredsand nineteen temples, houses and shops of the Hindu community. Among them, templesare 71, shopsare 152 and housesare 96.
Jammat had started the attack first after the verdict of a war criminal DelwarHosain or Della Razaker, he is now one of the main leaders of Jammat –E-Islam. But from the very first day BNP people joined them and both are doing it continuously. For this reason the Hindu community people who live in villages and the small towns where Jammat -BNP organizations are powerful, they are leading their lives in a terrible situation. Sometimes,this kind of situation is awful. On March 20 and 21,in Bogra, a northern district in Bangladesh BNP- Jammat people attacked five temples and vandalized nine statues of the Goddess. The minority Hindu people made contactwith the police station at that time but police did not take any proper action. Police knew who were the criminals and who vandalized it, but police did not arrest them. Rather they kept moving in front of the police when police was in the spot. Police is not doing this everywhere, rather in some places,policies are taking quick action; but why police did it in Bogra it is a mystery. But some people of that locality have stated that, the ruling Awami league district President is giving them shelter and the District Commissioner of Bogra is a supporter of Jammat –BNP. However, it is true that, police did not or could not take proper action there. But it is true not only in Bogra but also in other places where the ruling Awami league leaders are also giving shelter to the criminals of Jammat and BNP. Another, Bengali newspaperhas published a report recently that, at Bashkhal, a southern part of Bangladesh Jammat people vandalized and torchedat least 40 shops of the Hindu owners. But now police is accusing that, they are facing trouble to catch the criminal because that Jammat people has purchased the membership token by the money from the local Awami league leaders. It is unpleasant for the Hindu people of Bangladesh because the Hindu people of Bangladesh generally support Awami league since Awami league contains a secular values.
However, though what the Awami league local leaders are doing in some places is awful, it is not the main feature. The main feature is that at least one month has been passed but everyday Jammat- BNP people are attacking on the minority people and their homes, shops overall their temples. So the minority Hindu people and their religious believe are now in danger in some places is Bangladesh. Jammat and BNP are now playing this minority card very tactfully. What they are doing, its main goal is clear that, they want to give the lesson to the minority that, they are not safe in Bangladesh even Awami league holds the power of the country. Besides, they should understand what would be their fate if Jammat-BNP comes to the power so it is better for them to leave the country and go to India. One of the websites named Basserkella, which is run by Jammat and their student organization Shibir, they have posted a status recently. “We will kill all the Malauns( they called the Hindus as Malauns which meaning is they have no proper religion) and Bangladesh will be Banglastan like Pakistan.” BNP leader Khaleda Zia has given the whole heart support to Jammat. She has given instructions to her workers to work together with Jammat. So, now the BNP men commit most of the attack on the minority.
Now the world community, united state of America and the Europe Union (EU) are very much concerned regarding the minority issue in Bangladesh. As we know, USA would think that Jammat is a moderate Muslim party but what Jammat has done in the last four months now they have to start rethinking about Jammat. They should understand that Jammat is a terrorist party like other Muslim terrorist partiesin the world. However, BNP has supported Jammat in whole heart but still BNP is a moderate Muslim party in their eyes. So they are giving pressure on the BNP that to save the minority. In this situation,BNP is playing a very nasty game. One example is that, in Bogra where the organization of BNP is powerful, their men with the Jammat people they have demolished the statues and set fire the temples but after two days their leader Khaleda visited Bogra and she went to visit the temples and that persons who attacked the temple they bound to the minority to receive Khaleda. Not only that these criminals were always with Kheleda in Bogra but also they are threatening the affected minority people not to file any case. Therefore, BNP wants to play with minority like a puppet.
However, it is true that the honest part of the civil society of Bangladesh and the present government want to secure the lives, the properties and temples of the Hindu community. Government, the civil society, and the educated young generation are trying to stop this attack. But the Jammat and BNP have changed the style of their attack. They are not attacking on the minority with a mob. They are attacking in hit and run style. They are doing it every day. Because they want to give the message to the minor community that, they are not safe in this soil so they have to leave this soil and have to go to India. To protect it, government has made protection committee all over the country by the administration and the civilians; despite, it is not enough if Bangladesh government wants to stop the violence they have to ban the politics of Jammat, which is a main demand of the young generation of Bangladesh. On the other hand, the world communities including the neighboring countries have to give proper attention on the minority of Bangladesh.
Swadesh Roy, Executive Editor, the Daily Janakantha, Dhaka, Bangladesh, he can be reached at swadeshroy@gmail.com
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