dr. p r datta
Bangladesh is a country that we all own. Bengal has a long and illustrious history with a powerful and great culture that is as robust and lasting as the Durbar Mountains. It is here that the best children of Bengal for thousands of years, including Rabindranath-Nazrul-Jasim Uddin-Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, have been lying in the cold soil of Bengal for ages. This is where my father, grandfather and grand grand father is lying in the tranquilly of peace. This represents my faith, and my soul. If it is at all possible, I will be born in this Bengal over and over again. The Maurya’s, the Guptas, the Mughals, and the British Raj have all kept a close eye on the rise and fall of this empire, and they have all left their indelible fingerprints on this lush region on several occasions. The true face of Bengal has been shaped by Hindu-Muslim-Buddhist-Christian and multi-religious perspectives and cultural norms. Throughout history, we, the noble people of Bengal, have lived shoulder to shoulder and hand in hand with one another for millennia. This is our very own. This is where we live.
Bangladesh is a country of faith, respect, and religious harmony. It is one of the most vibrant countries in the world where millions of people have paid the ultimate price in search of freedom. A new state was born out of the horrors of a brutal war, in which, despite multiple challenges, we were as strong as a mighty mountain and unity was our direction. The people of Bangladesh have always shown great respect, tolerance, and open-mindedness towards each other irrespective of religion, race, and group. In the years of many national crises, we have all walked the path together, fought together and prayed together for the welfare of the country. We all together demanded the liberation of West Pakistan. We all stood together when West Pakistan began to distrust East Bengal and to carry out a series of heinous acts and conspiracies against us one after another. At the call of the generous and strong voice of the Father of the Nation, all the countrymen jumped into the war of independence. Earlier, the people of Bangladesh had strongly protested against West Pakistan’s attempt to dominate Bengal culturally and linguistically. The Damal boys of Bengal were the first in history to give their lives in protest of the language. The liberation war of Bangladesh (1971), which lasted for nine months, was very terrible. Although West Pakistan finally conceded defeat, millions of Bengalis lost their lives in the war, millions of mothers and sisters were honored and the social and economic infrastructure of the whole country was crippled by the ruling class of West Pakistan. This is the history of unity and love of the people of this land. The history of an infinite suffix that can never be fragile.
The people of Bengal have a remarkable cultural heritage that is deeply rooted in our core values, beliefs, and customs, which have been passed down through the ages. But sadly, in recent years, Bangladesh has witnessed some heinous communal violence. Hundreds of houses have been vandalized and heinous crimes against Bangladeshis, including rape and murder, have been committed in different parts of the country. Some insidious and self-interested religious groups have repeatedly attacked minorities with religious incitement. The intensity of demonic attacks including vandalism of idols and temples in many areas across Bangladesh during the greatest Hindu religious festival, Durga Puja, was horrifying and disturbing, even though such violence, particularly against minorities and the impoverished, is nothing new. Which has surpassed all the previous acts of violence. Humanity is in grave danger now, and our countrymen are in grave risk as well today. A disgrace to the entire country and to all of humanity, in general. It is the moral and social responsibility of all of us to ensure that all citizens are protected. Specifically, the government and security forces are forcing us to consider whether they have the willingness or the power to protect the lives and property of our fellow citizens. Fear and mistrust among minorities are causing a thick cloud of smoke to envelop the country, posing a significant barrier to national wealth and growth. We have all been witnessing silent and systematic persecution of religious minorities for the last few decades. As a result, the number of Bangladeshi minorities is shrinking day by day. The number, which was above 25 per cent in 1950, has now come down to less than 9 per cent. As citizens of Bangladesh, we do not want to see a country where some of us will be seen as second class and others as first class. We know very well what grief is. That is why we call on the whole government to put an end to bigotry and oppression. Strict action should be taken against the officials who fail to protect the citizens and if necessary, full force of law should be used to bring them to justice.
Secularism is being talked about again and again, yet it is not possible to create the environment that is necessary for society to be truly secular. In many Western countries, secularism means the separation of religion from the state; But in the context of Bangladesh, secularism means treating all religions equally and establishing the right to practice one’s own religion. The constitution recognizes all religions equally, does not give minority status to any religious community and gives equality and freedom of religion to all citizens. Secularism here does not mean the separation of religion from public life, but the implementation of various religious projects under state auspices. Because the constitution recognises Islam as the state religion, the principle of secularism is in conflict – regardless of whether the state guarantees equal respect and equal rights in the practice of Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and other religions.
Although many individuals believe that the official designation of Islam as the national religion is only a constitutional courtesy and acknowledgement of the faith of the majority of the population, others believe that it is more than that. The Bangladesh Awami League, our country’s founding party, established an independent state based on the lofty ideals of nationalism, socialism, democracy, and secularism. Unfortunately, the concept of secularism has long been weakened, and the country is on its way to an unfamiliar destination where citizens’ rights are routinely violated. Intolerance and bigotry abound, and many Bangladeshis no longer feel safe in their own country.
As a result, we respectfully request that the government awaken from its apparent slumber and protect ordinary citizens. What we require is the rule of law and the ability to exercise the rights enshrined in Bangladesh’s Constitution. We hope that the government will take this matter seriously, as Bangladesh’s existence as a democratic and progressive country is in jeopardy.
This article includes some recommendations for the Government of Bangladesh, the successful implementation of which we hope will result in the establishment of a truly secular Bangladesh: (1) Adequate implementation of minorities’ rights governed by Article 4.1 of the Constitution: (a) to establish every citizen’s right to adopt, practise, or propagate religion; (b) to uphold the right of each religious community or community to establish, maintain, and operate its religious institution; (2) The Bangladeshi government should reconsider the proper application of secularism, including the adoption and execution of the United Nations’ Minority Rights Policy. The government should establish and execute internationally accepted minority rights laws to eliminate all types of communal and ethnic violence; (3) Adoption and implementation of a proper and forceful plan to end all forms of religious minorities persecution: We demand an end to all forms of religious minorities persecution, including forced property seizures, systematic eviction of large poor minority families, rape and sexual assault, damage to places of worship, discrimination in all walks of life, and forced conversions; (4) Justice and appropriate rehabilitation: Rebuilding the lives of all victims of heinous and brutal communalism, as well as ensuring harsh punishment for the guilty by bringing them to justice. (5) Parliament should pass and confidently implement the Minority Protection Act. The government must assume complete responsibility for the protection of all citizens of the country; (6) establish a ministry with appropriate judicial powers for minorities; (7) ensure minorities’ protection and, if necessary, increase accountability of all local administrative branches, including elected government members, to enforce the law; (8) Incorporate citizenship education programmes, including multicultural education, into all educational institutions from the primary through the secondary levels in order to protect citizens’ rights and religious peace; (9) The government of Bangladesh should introduce human rights and religious freedom training opportunities for MPs, the courts, law enforcement agencies, and government and party officials. To ensure their survival and dignity as proud citizens of an independent and sovereign country, the religious minorities too must take some important steps: (1) Strengthening our collective values, beliefs, and moral precepts will help each of us become more capable. Each and every one of us must believe that we are a vital component of this community. We must all work together to achieve a common goal, regardless of individual preferences; (2) to provide full moral, financial, and emotional support to the victim’s family, as well as to do everything possible to boost their morale; (3) All inter-minority organisations must collaborate to uphold our core values, find common ground for coming together, and speak with one voice to local and national authorities; (4) Minority-based organisations and other local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) should be invited to develop and implement an inclusive educational programme for the development of ethnic minorities’ social identity and citizenship rights; (5) Efforts should be increased to collaborate with local government and other community organisations, both at the level of local minority-based organisations and civil society institutions and individuals, in order to uphold social values and reduce inter-religious tensions; (6) to organise an annual international conference / symposium to promote inter-religious harmony.
The writer is Educator, author, and researcher, Executive Chair, Centre for Business & Economic Research, UK
