Shame shadows Bangladesh again. Numerous attacks have
been waged on the Hindu community across Bangladesh in the wake of the
January 5
th general 'election'. Houses and business
establishments owned by Hindus have been targeted. Other ethnic and
non-Muslim communities have also been attacked. Temples and religious
sites have not been spared. Few hundred Hindu families have lost their
property and savings in acts of vandalism, loot, and arson. Numerous
women and children from minority communities, have fled their homes, and
are in hiding in fear of further attacks. Their homes destroyed, some
sleep under the open sky in the cold air of winter nights. Neither the
state nor humanitarian organizations have responded with adequate food
and shelter for the victims.
Thousands of Joint Forces troops, comprising the police, Rapid Action
Battalion, and Border Guards, have remained deployed for tightening
'election period' security. The Bangladesh Army has also been on the
street to 'aid' the government since December 2013. All these swarming
forces have failed to prevent the attacks and protect the minority
population.
This is, of course, not the first such series of attacks; it is only
the latest instance in a litany of shameful attacks on the dwindling
minority population of Bangladesh. Attacking minorities has become an
election tradition in the country. Whether real or fake, rigged or
boycotted, no election appears to be complete without literal minority
bashing. It is time Bangla literature updates its historical reference
to there being only 6 seasons in the land. The election period is now
akin to a separate season in itself, one in which vandalism, loot,
arson, and attack on minority establishments is a key feature.
How long can the non-Muslim communities sustain such barbarity?
Targeting of non-Muslims for political gains is done by both parties
that win and parties that lose elections. Of course, many Muslims also
fall victim to the seasonal violence of elections; at least five lives
have been lost in post election violence this year, not to mention over a
hundred killed in the lead-up to the election. Apart from political
gains, such attacks, orchestrated by powerful people, linked to the
ruling or opposition parties, are often undertaken for grabbing land and
assets. The attacks on Hindus, in particular, also open undue
opportunities to politicians beyond borders, for earning 'extra'
benefits, again, at the cost of the dignity and interests of the people
of Bangladesh.
Following this latest rounds of attacks on minorities, the government
has hurled accusations on opposition political parties. The
pro-government media and civil society has echoed the story of the
attacks having been undertaken by the opposition. The police, virtually
across the country, have registered complaints maintaining the position
of the pro-ruling party, holding the opposition responsible. The chief
opposition party, the
Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), and its ally,
Bangladesh Jamaat-E-Islami (BJI), have, in turn, blamed the ruling party, the
Bangladesh Awami League (BAL), for the attacks.
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has had the opportunity to
enquire after the well-being of victims in Chapatala village, Avoynagar,
in Jessore district. The victims' version of events contradicts the
government's take. Residents of Chapatala state the following:
They say Mr. Ranjit Kumar Roy, a ruling party candidate, a Hindu, won
the election. Cadres of the defeated candidate, Mr. Abdul Wahab – who
was a leader of the Bangladesh Awami League until he was denied a ticket
by the party this election – led the attacks. Supporters of few other
political parties, those with links to the attack leaders, and local
'petty criminals', thieves and muggers, jointly committed the crimes.
Around seventy lower caste Hindu families lost most of their assets as a
result. Their houses and shops have been looted, belongings burnt.
It must be noted that Abdul Wahab also happens to be a Whip in the yet to be dissolved 9
th
Parliament. On December 28, 2013, Wahab held an election campaign
meeting at Sundali Primary School ground adjacent to Chapatala village.
In that meeting Wahab allegedly threatened Hindu families with dire
consequences if he were to lose the election to his Hindu counterpart.
The Hindu inhabitants of Chapatala village did not imagine that the
victory of Mr. Ranjeet Kumar Roy would cause them so much misery. The
case of Chapatala makes it clear that politicians of all hues are behind
such dastardly violence.
The AHRC has learned that local administrations in some districts
have provided relief and remuneration to some victims. While adequate
relief is essential, and must cover all the affected, what is really
required is 'justice' for the victims. To ensure justice, the
institution of a judicial probe commission is the need of the hour, to
investigate and prosecute perpetrators regardless of their political or
religious identity. However, if history is any indicator, AHRC is well
aware that even if such a commission were to be instituted, something
highly unlikely, the incumbent regime would only go so far as to abuse
it. Such criminal investigations surrounding the communal attacks will
only likely end up as another tool for those in power to further corner
political opposition.
The AHRC notes the statement of Mr. Subrata Chowdhury, President of
Bangladesh Hindu Buddha Christian Oikkya Parishad and a Supreme Court
lawyer. BBC Bangla Service news has recorded him stating that "
now,
it has been accused that Jamaat-Shibir committed the attacks. It is made
to be a slogan. In reality, it has been seen that it is not the
Jamaat-Shibir who have attacked in all the cases. We have found that in
many places the Awami Leaguers are involved too. If Jamaat-Shibir have
committed these, then why the government is not bring them to the book
and why actions are not being taken against the public officials for
failing to prevent such incidents?"
Mr. Chowdhury asked.
The realities are truly unfortunate, as Bangladesh has a long and
commendable history of communal harmony, unlike neighbouring nations.
The people, regardless of their religious background, fought for the
country's independence in 1971. Together, they sacrificed lives on the
battle field. If any roadside tea-stall plays a song such as "
Mora Ekti Fulkey Bachabo Boley Juddho Kori" [
We struggle for protecting each and every flower],
any Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, and ethnic community member
will sing along in chorus. Ordinary citizens of Bangladesh have deep
bonds beyond their communal identities. It is, however, the shamelessly
dirty politics atop the nation, and the unforgivable failure of the
civil and police administration to prevent attacks on non-Muslims, that
has butchered the people's history.
The people must unite again to prevent the politics of communal
violence. It is not merely a loss for the minorities, in terms of their
houses, businesses, and valuables. Trust and respect in society, which
money cannot buy, is lost in such attacks. The social fabric of
Bangladesh is rent asunder. The country's image and, in particular, that
of the Muslim majoritarian community is besmirched internationally. The
historic fraternity of the people must resurface, stronger, to sideline
those paralyzed by greed. The parties that fail to end such bloody
politics must be relegated to the bin of history. Communal violence must
be stopped now and forever.
