Atrocities on Bangladesh Hindus : Does Yunus govt fear fundamentalists ?
Islamic fundamentalist groups, chanting anti-Hindu slogans, vandalized and threw brickbats at three Hindu temples, Santaneshwari Matri Temple, Shani Temple and Santaneshwari Kali Temple, in Chattogram city of Bangladesh on Friday. They broke the gates and structures of the temples. Islamic jihadists then attacked shops and homes of Hindus in Thakurgaon, Kotwali and Tiger Pass localities of Chattogram. They beat up Hindus, but policemen remained mute spectators. Later army was deployed to maintain peace.
In Dhaka, thousands of jihadists came out on the streets demanding ban on ISKCON. The rally was organized by Hefazat-e-Islam, Hizbut Tahrir and Jamaat-e-Islami. The rally began from Baitul Muqarram, the largest mosque, after Jumma prayers.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh government’s Financial Intelligence Unit has frozen bank accounts of 17 people for 30 days. These include jailed monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, all linked to ISKCON. In Kolkata, ISKCON vice-president Radha Raman Das said, their outfit members are having problems in looking after their daily needs.
The developments had their effects in neighbouring West Bengal. In Kolkata, Indian Secular Front workers staged a protest outside Bangladesh Deputy High Commission demanding a stop to atrocities on Hindus. Indian Secular Front is led by Maulana Abbas Siddiqui of Furfura Sharif shrine. Vishwa Hindu Parishad supporters all staged protests in Kolkata.
In the House of Commons, British Conservative Party MP Bob Blackman demanded that the UK government should intervene. He alleged that innocent peaceloving members of ISKCON are being targeted by Islamic jihadists and Hindus are being subjected to atrocities. Their properties are being looted and this must end, he added.
In Indian Parliament, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, in a written reply, said Indian government has spoken to Bangladesh authorities to ensure protection for Hindus and other minorities. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, Indian government was worried about the developments in Bangladesh since the ouster of PM Sheikh Hasina. He expressed hope that Bangladesh courts will ensure justice for jailed ISKCON monk Chinmoy Das.
RSS Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale in a statement on Saturday demanded immediate halt to atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh and release of ISKCON monk Chinmoy Das from jail. Hosabale appealed to Indian government to rouse world opinion in order to pressurise Bangladesh government to ensure protection for Hindus.
It is a fact that the government of India is very much concerned about the conditions of Hindus living in Bangladesh. A top-level meeting between Home Minister Amit Shah, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval took place on Thursday to decide about measures to be taken. Since the issue relates to a neighbouring country, diplomatic channels are being used to put pressure on the Bangladesh interim government.
The problem is: Mohammad Yunus, who heads the interim government, is under intense pressure from Islamic fundamentalists and fears them. After mobs indulged in violence to unseat Sheikh Hasina from power, other parties and leaders have started fearing mobs. Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam, after gaining control on the interim government, are now resorting to violence. Their workers fear neither the police, nor the army. They do not bother about Bangladesh’s world image. It seems that putting a stop to atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh may take time.
Why Maulanas in Bangladesh are giving death threats to Hindus?
Islamic radical elements have now started giving threats to kill Hindus in Bangladesh and destroy all ISKCON (International Society For Krishna Consciousness) temples. Several thousand Jihadi protesters came out on the streets chanting slogans for beheading all ISKCON devotees. They have blamed Bangladeshi Hindus as pro-Modi ‘dalaals’ (brokers).
The interim government of Bangladesh headed by economist Chief Adviser Mohammed Yunus has not taken any action against the Islamic radicals and has chosen to remain a mute spectator. The top legal officer of Bangladesh government Attorney General Mohammed Asaduzzaman has already given a call to remove the word “secularism” from the Constitution, citing the reason that more than 90 per cent population is now Muslim. Hindus comprise only 8 per cent of Bangladesh’s 17 crore population.
There have been more than 2,000 attacks on Hindus and on their properties and temples in Bangladesh since August 4. ISKCON has appealed to the Indian government to intervene.
Top Islamic clerics addressed a rally held by Ulema Oikya (Unity) Parishad in Dhaka demanding immediate ban on ISKCON. The maulanas described ISKCON as a “terrorist group” and their temples as “dens of terrorists”.
Several maulanas alleged that ISKCON devotees are working as “agents of India” and are trying to defame Bangladesh.
The agitation against ISKCON began from Chittagong, where some Islamic radicals had demanded ban on this group of Krishna devotees. This led to counter-protests from Hindus, and Bangladesh army soldiers along with police dragged Hindus out of their homes and brutally beat them up.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad has condemned the atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh. Samajwadi Party MP Mohibullah Nadvi has demanded that the Indian government should take steps to protecgt Hindus in Bangladesh. A delegation of ISKCON sadhus met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Raigad, Maharashtra and discussed the situation in Bangladesh.
Contrary to jihadist views, the fact is ISKCON is an organization of Lord Krishna’s devotees founded by Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. It propagates the teachings of Bhagwad Gita among people. It is not an Indian organization. ISKCON has its branches in many countries and it has no political leanings.
I believe, Islamic radicals are only using the plea for ban on ISKCON as an excuse, and their real targets are Hindus living in Bangladesh. Since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s regime, Islamic radicals are openly using intimidatory tactics against Hindus to achieve their aim of making Bangladesh an Islamic state. They want a Taliban-type rule in Bangladesh and the present interim government is being remotely controlled by Islamic radicals led by Jamaat-e-Islami.
Islamic radicals seem to have got a licence to carry out violence against Hindus and other minorities. Hindus living in Bangladesh have now no other means but to remain solidly united to face these Islamic bigots. Those who understand Bangladesh politics and its governance feel that the arbitrary tactics of Islamic radicals will not last long.
Bangladesh: Stop atrocities against Hindus
Videos of Bangladesh army soldiers forcibly breaking into Hindu homes on a dark night, dragging out men and women, thrashing them with lathis and then destroying CCTV cameras to hide evidence, are scary and worrying. This brutal crackdown took place soon after Hindus staged protest after a Jamaat-e-Islami supporter businessman posted derogatory remarks against Hindus and ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) on social media.
Army soldiers along with policemen entered the Hindu locality of Hazari Lane, dragged Hindus out of their homes and beat them with lathis mercilessly. This attack was led by the local Deputy Commissioner, a Hindu victim alleged. The victim said, “the interim government of Nobel Prize winning Dr Mohammad Yunus is restorting to dictatorship. On Tuesday night, in Hazari Lane, the Deputy Commissioner led policemen and army soldiers, who dragged Hindus out of their homes and beat them mercilessly with lathis. Hindus had staged a protest against an inflammatory social media post against ISKCON.”
Women and children hid themselves in the homes of others to save themselves from army crackdown. One uniformed soldier fired in the air to intimidate Hindus and force them to come out of their hiding places.
In New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson condemned the incident and urged Bangladesh government to take action against extremist elements and ensure safety of Hindus. The MEA spokesperson said, “It is understood that there are extremist elements who are behind such posts and such illegal criminal activities. This is bound to create further tensions in the community.”
Atrocities on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh are not new. There has been a spate of such attacks after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was deposed. Even US President-elect Donald Trump, during his election campaign. had expressed concern over the atrocities against Hindus in Bangaldesh. It was a strong statement. After Donald Trump’s victory, there is silence in Bangladesh political circles. Some people have started claiming that the wind might blow in a reverse direction now. Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League has got a new life, in the face of atrocities from the new ruling dispensation.
Time will tell what will happen after the regime change in the US, but as far as atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh are concerned, since the army has now entered the scene and is launching a crackdown against Hindus, there is need to raise a loud voice and create worldwide outrage against such atrocities.