Fear of impending genocide haunts Bangladesh’s minority communities ahead of February elections.
- The continuing violence by jihadi mobs against Hindus in Bangladesh reflects the dangerous silence of Hindus worldwide, a silence that has allowed persecution to continue unchecked.
- It is time for Hindus globally to raise their voices against this targeted violence, and for the Indian government to move beyond mere expressions of concern and take firm diplomatic and international action to stop the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh. – Editor, HJS
Chattogram (Bangladesh) – Following the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government last year, attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh have continued unabated. While there was a brief lull in the violence, Hindus are once again being targeted following the assassination of anti-India leader Sharif Osman Hadi. In the wake of this incident, the country’s Hindu population is living under a constant shadow of fear.
A mob brutally beat Deepu Chandra Das to death and burnt his body after leveling false allegations of insulting the Prophet. This was followed by the killing of another Hindu. Now, posters have surfaced detailing a plan for the mass killing of Hindus. A poster found in the Raozan sub-district of Chattogram threatens the slaughter of two lakh Hindus and Buddhists. The Sunday Guardian has published a photograph of the poster recovered from a location where Hindu homes were set ablaze. By linking Osman Hadi’s murder to India, local jihadists are seeking revenge against the local Hindu community.
1. Elections are scheduled to take place in Bangladesh next February; however, the Awami League party has been barred from contesting.
2. A few days ago, a Muslim mob set fire to the home of Anil Sheel in Raozan. The entire family was locked inside in an attempt to burn them alive, but they narrowly managed to escape.
3. Kushal Borun Chakraborty, a representative of the ‘Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote’, visited the victimized families and reported that several Hindu homes in the area have been torched in a similar manner.
4. The poster seized by the police was dated 13th December. It stated that on that day, two lakh members of the Hindu and Buddhist communities in Raozan would be killed.
5. The poster further declared, “There will be no trace left of these communities here.” Despite the discovery of these posters, no concrete security measures have been implemented.
Who will protect the Hindus?
Jamaat-e-Islami has announced its intention to turn the country into an ‘Islamic Republic’ if it comes to power. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, and the Jatiya Party are all considered to hold radical ideologies. BNP leader Tarique Rahman, who returned from London after 17 years, has remained silent on the violence against Hindus, making it clear that he does not wish to displease radical factions. In such a situation, the safety of Hindus in the country has become a monumental question.
