The emergence of Bangladesh in 1971 was obviously the victory of the secular forces and the minority communities took it as an end to the injustice and discrimination they faced until the last days of Pakistan. Unfortunately, they could not remain free of that nightmare for long. Following the general elections in 1991 and 2001, Bangladesh experienced a bitter phase of minority persecution across the country. The same was repeated in the first week of January, 2014 in the northern districts of Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Rangpur, Bogra, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Rajshahi, the southern district of Chittagong and western Jessore. A vested quarter is committing this violence to serve their ulterior motive.
This is the ultimate result of eschewing secular norms and behaviour by a section of the political establishment and unhealthy state policies. As a follow-up, abduction, torture, land grabbing, desecration of religious institutions and places, forcible eviction, and electoral violence caused threats to the rights and existence of minority people in Bangladesh.
The minority communities, in general, remain in a state of insecurity and fear. There prevails a climate of hegemony and intolerance towards the minorities. Women are more vulnerable because an attack upon them is regarded as an attack upon the community. Hindu women already suffer from discriminatory family laws of their own community. Violence within the family often goes unreported. Extortion has become a norm in the political and social fabric. Their refusal to meet unjust extortion demands exposes them to violence or threats. It is important to note that threats to leave the country are not made to the members of the majority community. This suggests that the process of creating a sense of otherness amongst minorities has seeped into the ligaments of the vested quarters of the society.
Many members of the Hindu community were alienated from their land by the Vested Property Act. Even though the Act was repealed in 2000, its implementation is in limbo. Though the incidents of violation on Hindu women, attacks on the Hindu community and on their places of worship were common in the past, they are not rare even these days. In most of the cases the terrorists warn the victims of stern punishment if the incident is reported to the police. There are also claims by the victims that the administration does little to dispense justice.
Though Islam has been declared as the state religion of Bangladesh, the citizens belonging to other religions are free to practise, profess or propagate their religion. Notwithstanding this explicit provision, the religious rights of the minorities continue to be violated. To make an ideal living atmosphere for the religious minorities in Bangladesh, we must have to change our attitude towards them. We should let them think that they are not weaker and vulnerable.
Conflict in societies, especially between religious groups, is a much discussed sociological phenomenon. The group having more power and resources exploits the group having less power and resources. This is how conflict starts in a society. But our society needs to function like an organism where all the actors work together to promote solidarity and stability. We have to focus on the society as a whole where all the citizens have to be proactive to control the situation.
Shidratul Moontaha Suha is an MSS student and Badhan Biswas is a Graduate student in the Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka.
suha_dsdu30@yahoo.com
Building a harmonious society
Shidratul Moontaha Suha and Badhan Biswas | Published: January 28, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
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