The Political Instrumentalization of Bangladesh’s Hindu Community

[ad_1] Bangladesh has a legacy of non secular concord woven into its social cloth; nonetheless, communal tensions proceed to come up, impacting each politics and public notion. These tensions are sometimes fueled by political agendas. Somewhat than addressing the challenges confronted by Hindus in Bangladesh, political events, notably the Awami League (AL), have a historical past of politicizing the struggles of the minority neighborhood.

Following Hasina’s fall on August 5, the AL resumed its technique of politicizing communal points, additional growing distrust between Hindu and Muslim communities in Bangladesh. The AL has more and more used Hindu communities as a political instrument, blurring the traces between non secular and political identification. This has created long-term dangers for Hindus.

After Hasina fled to India, members of the AL in Bangladesh confronted backlash for actions linked to the persecution of scholars to suppress dissent. Each Hindu and Muslim AL leaders got here below scrutiny and even assault; the battle was not merely communal but additionally political. Between August 5 and 20, a complete of 1,068 homes and companies belonging to minorities have been attacked, with no less than 506 of the affected house owners having ties to Awami League politics, Prothom Alo reported .

Even teams which might be imagined to signify the curiosity of Bangladesh’s Hindu inhabitants have been politicized. The leaders of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council , a outstanding minority advocacy group, proceed to advocate the AL’s agenda for their very own private socioeconomic benefit, overlooking the broader pursuits of the neighborhood. On social media, some leaders of the Unity Council have been accused of being beneficiaries of Hasina’s regime, with critics elevating questions on its impartiality.

Throughout the protests resulting in Hasina’s fall, demonstrators mockingly chanted, “Who're you and who am I? Razakar, Razakar!” to counter Hasina’s derogatory accusation that protesters have been the descendants of “Razakars,” referring to Bangladeshis who fought for the Pakistan Military towards the creation of an unbiased Bangladesh. The Unity Council launched statements calling for the punishment of protesters , echoing AL rhetoric and additional alienating demonstrators. Just lately, the Unity Council claimed that 9 Hindus have been killed below the post-Hasina administration, a declare confirmed false by an investigative report from Netra Information. This undermined the credibility of the group.

In the meantime India’s Hindutva-aligned Bharatiya Janata Social gathering (BJP) and sure media shops have pushed their very own agendas relating to minority points in Bangladesh. In response to stories from Al Jazeera on August 8 , Anadolu Ajans on August 10 , the BBC on August 18 , and Prothom Alo on August 29 , Indian media unfold misinformation and disinformation relating to assaults on minorities in Bangladesh, Some India-based social media accounts additionally fueled disinformation.

But, in 2021, throughout Hasina’s rule, India remained notably quiet when communal violence erupted in Bangladesh and 117 Hindu temples have been reportedly attacked throughout 27 districts . In distinction, in 2024, when Durga Puja celebrations proceeded safely throughout 31,461 pavilions in Bangladesh, India’s international ministry nonetheless discovered fault with the interim authorities over minor points. Throughout these occasions, an incident involving a Hindu lady who was harassed was seen by India’s international ministry as a failure of the whole competition . These disparate responses spotlight how India politicizes Bangladesh’s minority points reasonably than addressing them on real grounds.

The notion that Hindus have been protected throughout Sheikh Hasina’s tenure is a false narrative. Hasina largely courted the Hindu vote because of the AL’s proclaimed pro-secular stance and its alliance with India. Regardless of this technique, the AL didn't take efficient motion to guard Hindu and different minority communities from periodic violence and communal assaults. In response to Gobinda Chandra Pramanik, secretary normal of the Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajote, the Hindu neighborhood has been held “hostage” by the Awami League since 1955 .

Beneath the Hasina administration, two main incidents of communal violence occurred: one focusing on the Buddhist neighborhood in 2012 and one other towards the Hindu neighborhood in 2021 . These incidents stay unresolved, with no justice for the victims. Even after greater than 10 years below the Hasina administration, all of the instances associated to the 2012 communal assaults towards Buddhists in Ramu, regardless of substantial proof, are nonetheless at trial , with the entire accused out on bail.

In response to Ain o Salish Kendra, a outstanding Bangladeshi human rights group, 3,679 assaults on the Hindu neighborhood have been reported to have taken place between January 2013 and September 2021, in the course of the Hasina regime. But these assaults noticed a restricted administrative response; the federal government merely blamed opposition events with out taking substantive motion.

In response to native media stories , AL members have been allegedly concerned in some assaults on Hindu and Buddhist temples and properties, notably within the 2016 Nasirnagar assault on Hindus . This additional raises questions in regards to the social gathering’s dedication to minority rights.

Benazir Ahmed , a former chief of the Fast Motion Battalion and inspector normal of the Bangladesh Police and a key determine within the Hasina regime, was reported to have compelled Hindus to promote their land at comparatively decrease costs to construct a private resort. These accusations recommend AL members additionally perpetrated assaults on minorities and seizures of their properties.

Elite Hindus in Bangladesh usually take pro-AL and pro-India positions for socioeconomic benefit, but most Hindus in Bangladesh aren't politically concerned. They, like their compatriots of all religions, are centered as an alternative on demanding peace, security, and dignity from the state. In my conversations with over 50 Hindus throughout varied districts earlier this month, a transparent sentiment emerged: They prioritize safety and equality over political affiliations.

The Hindu neighborhood additionally contributed considerably to the Monsoon Revolution, with no less than 9 Hindu Bangladeshis shedding their lives within the protests . A number of Hindu figures performed important roles within the motion; for instance, Debashish Chakrabarty’s digital posters grew to become symbols of the revolution and have been extensively circulated on-line.

But, elite Hindus proceed to mislead and politicize the rights, agendas, and contributions of the Hindu neighborhood.

After India supplied shelter to Hasina, many revolutionaries grew to become vocal critics of India, and a rise in border killings by India’s Border Safety Drive (BSF) – already a significant issue below Hasina – additional fueled their anger. Following the revolution, two Hindu residents, 16-year-old Swarna Das and 15-year-old Joyonto Kumar Singha , have been killed by the BSF.

On social media, many individuals questioned why Hindu neighborhood leaders remained silent on the killing of two Hindus on the border, regardless of their earlier activism towards communal violence in the course of the August 5-8 interval of statelessness. The response from elite Hindus was to double down on help for India. Chinmaykrishna Das Brahmachari, president of ISKCON Chittagong Pundarik Dham, commented on the deaths of two Hindus on the border , labeling the general public protests towards these killings as “ Maya Kanna” (crocodile tears) and criticizing the chanting of slogans towards India.

ISKCON , the Worldwide Society for Krishna Consciousness, is understood for its social work in Bangladesh, however a latest incident in Chittagong has led to misinterpretations in regards to the group. In Chittagong, after a businessman posted essential feedback about ISKCON on social media, Hindu society members allegedly assaulted him and vandalized his property . When police intervened, some attackers reportedly assaulted regulation enforcement officers and even used acid of their assaults. Amid these tensions, sure AL members appear to be scary ISKCON, probably inciting communal violence that might destabilize the interim authorities.

After assuming energy, Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of the interim authorities of Bangladesh, visited the historic Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka, the place he assured Bangladesh’s minorities of their security and safety within the nation. He said, “Rights are equal for everybody. We're all one individuals with equal rights in Bangladesh.”

The Yunus authorities has responded to long-standing calls for from the Hindu neighborhood, together with by declaring a two-day public vacation for Durga Puja . These concerned are persevering with efforts to deal with the Hindu neighborhood’s calls for. Nonetheless, the Yunus administration continues to face political provocations, largely from disgruntled former AL members.

Amid these tensions, Hindu neighborhood leaders have introduced an extended march to Dhaka to make particular calls for . The Yunus authorities has supplied to debate these considerations; Syeda Rizwana Hasan, the federal government’s adviser on the setting, forests, and local weather change, said that the federal government’s door is at all times open for dialogue and dialogue relating to the Hindu neighborhood’s calls for . But the neighborhood leaders have proven little curiosity in participating.

These incidents recommend that elite Hindu leaders might want to not work overtly with any authorities apart from the AL, regardless of the present administration’s real efforts. Such dynamics have elevated distrust between Hindu and Muslim residents, impacting the safety and well-being of the Hindu neighborhood.

Bangladesh’s journey towards an inclusive society requires transferring past the instrumentalization of non secular identities. The nation’s Hindu neighborhood ought to be embraced as an integral a part of its multicultural cloth reasonably than as a political instrument. Solely by fostering real belief between Hindu and Muslim communities can Bangladesh hope to interrupt the cycle of suspicion and scapegoating.