Trouble In Neighbourhood : Already In Chaos, Attacks On Hindus In Bangladesh Makes Its Future Uncertain

Violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh has become a norm rising at alarming levels ever since the then prime minister Sheikh Hasina was deposed in a coup. These constant attacks led the Hindus in Bangladesh protesting peacefully in large numbers organised by their social and religious organisation, chiefly ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), a global Vaishnava sect. Unfortunately, the arrest of an ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das recently has drawn criticism from India.

India condemned the arrest of Das saying, “We have noted with deep concern the arrest and denial of bail to Shri Chinmoy Krishna Das, who is also the spokesperson of the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote. This incident follows the multiple attacks on Hindus and other minorities by extremist elements in Bangladesh. There are several documented cases of arson and looting of minorities’ homes and business establishments, as well as theft and vandalism and desecration of deities and temples,” the MEA statement said.

“It is unfortunate that while the perpetrators of these incidents remain at large, charges should be pressed against a religious leader presenting legitimate demands through peaceful gatherings. We also note with concern the attacks on minorities protesting peacefully against the arrest of Shri Das,” it added.

Iskcon priest and Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote spokesperson Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari was arrested recently by Dhaka metropolitan police’s detective branch. Police officials confirmed the arrest but did not give details of the charges. A prominent monk leading protests against atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh, Das was detained at Dhaka airport. A court ordered to send him to jail after turning down his bail appeal. Though the reasons for his arrest remains unclear but some reports suggest that the monk has been accused of disrespecting the Bangladeshi flag at a rally he addressed in Oct in Chattogram. A case was filed against him after that rally. He is among 18 individuals charged with sedition over the hoisting of a saffron flag. Recently, Das had also addressed a massive protest rally in violence-stricken Rangpur on Nov 22, condemning the ongoing atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh. He has been one of the towering figures among Bangladesh’s Hindu minority and has been very vocal about the community’s grievances amid attacks on Bangladeshi Hindus in the recent past.

Ever since Hasina’s ouster, Bangladesh faces an uncertain future. The interim govt under Muhammad  Yunus has failed to check attacks on minorities as well as Hasina’s party workers. Nearly a week ago, Yunus dismissed the reports of rising attacks on Hindus in his nation, claiming that violence against minorities had occurred “only in some cases” and most complaints were “completely exaggerated”. He said that the attacks on Hindus were not communal, but a fallout of a political upheaval as there is a perception that most Hindus supported the now-deposed Awami League govt. “I’ve said this to (PM) Modi also that this is exaggerated. This issue has several dimensions. When the country went through an upheaval following the atrocities by (Sheikh) Hasina and the Awami League… those who were with them also faced attacks,” the Nobel laureate told PTI. “These attacks are political in nature and not communal. And India is propagating these incidents in a big way. We have not said that we can’t do anything; we have said that we are doing everything.”

With calls for declaring Bangladesh an Islamic state, analysts have started comparing it’s situation to Afghanistan and Pakistan, both of which have experienced significant turmoil in recent years. Given Bangladesh’s long secular and modern rule under Hasina and a strong economy and institutions she has left in her wake, comparisons with Afghanistan or Pakistan may sound too alarming. Before it gets too late, the Yunus led government should take some stringent steps to curb the ongoing attacks on the minorities and find ways to build a peaceful and a prosperous nation.