When minority communities are under attack

A freedom fighter and former president of Debhata Muktijoddha Sangsad under Satkhira, a Jamaat bastion, laments that it would have been far better if he had got killed in the war of liberation. At least he would have the satisfaction of embracing martyrdom for the motherland. But now he was compelled to flee his ancestral home after the building had been set on fire with gun powder sprinkling all over. Uncertain of his return home in the village, he now lives in Satkhira town. How long can a family sustain when he lives away from home without pursuing livelihoods by its members and the younger ones being deprived of their schooling?
Disgusted, this man left active politics and kept himself busy with fish farming and other economic activities. By doing so, he has made quite a fortune. But seldom did he, a freedom fighter, entertain the fear that in the independent Bangladesh he would be a target of attack in the Pakistani style during the liberation war. He had to flee through the backdoor in order to save the lives of the members of his family. After the January 05 election his house was torched. This freedom fighter is not the only person to have suffered such an ill fate, hundreds of Hindus in Bangladesh have suffered similarly. Their houses and temples are either being burnt down or looted with no let-up.
The weak among the Hindu community are paying the greatest price. Defenceless, the low caste cobblers in Malopara, Jessore and similar underclass in Dinajpur and Nilphamari were particularly targeted for heinous attacks. Two Malopara women were reportedly raped. An English daily has published a picture of a dismantled hut where a family lived once. The story behind the dismantled hut is that women were raped earlier and the family had gone away, in order to avoid the stigma, without leaving any trace.
Why are the culprits resorting to arson on homes of the Hindus and rape of their women. A national Bangla daily once reported that selective rape would be used as part of a blue print by religious zealots in order to drive the Hindus away. It seems torching of homes is equally effective to get the same purpose served. No wonder therefore that the freedom fighter from Satkhira succinctly puts the plight of the Hindus in Bangladesh: "if the Hindus stay in Bangladesh, it is vote for the Awami League; if they leave the country, it is land for AL, BNP and Jamaat and all. This short sentence speaks volume for the plight of the minority communities, particularly the Hindus, in Bangladesh.
It is no easy proposition to be totally uprooted from one's ancestral home and then begin all over again. The low-caste poor may not have lost much in terms of their moveable and immoveable property. But even the smallest thing and the homestead on which they built a hut are possessions they can ill-afford to lose. They are going to join the rank of the nameless floating people in an urban centre in Bangladesh or flee to neighbouring India. As for the middle-class people, it is a message -a strong one at that concerning their right to live in this country. Their status as the second class citizens has been further compromised. In constant fear for their lives and property, they would have opted for living abroad, provided they were given the choice, to avoid the constant mental torture.
The role of the administration has been far from satisfactory. Except one member of parliament, now a minister, no ruling party or opposition lawmaker immediately visited the locality under attack to express outrage and sorrow. In doing so, however, his convoy came under attack on his way back and as many as four of his followers and another person were killed. Such was the volatile situation in Bangladesh immediately after the hanging of war criminal Kader Mollah. Similar attacks followed before and after the January 05 national election. One cannot say it has improved much. Although the newly sworn-in ministers have been voicing strong actions against the perpetrators of the crime committed by communal elements, no indication is encouraging enough till today.
There is one exception though. This concerns the road march undertaken by the Ganojagoran Manch. The members of this organization have visited the affected area and distributed some material help. More importantly, they have appealed to the conscience of people to stand united against the communal factions who are undermining the country's long tradition of fraternity across the religious divides. At meetings in different place on their way to the affected localities, they gave a call to build a Bangladesh where religious harmony will prevail in total rejection of communal hatred. They indeed keep the torch of hope burning bright.