by Ahmed Shihab 21 February 2023
“The Nation voted us to power to see unity and communal harmony, not for any division or communality.” —Begum Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh
Lately, a vested coterie, aligned with the ruling regime of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Indian intelligence agency of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), re-started a false campaign of Islamophobia in Bangladesh. It is a total falsification and misrepresentation of Bangladesh aimed at mala fide intents. The South Asian country of moderate Muslims has one of the most harmonious communal societies in the region and is hailed by prominent personalities within and outside the country.
It is suspected that with a view to proving its point, the ruling regime may conduct premeditated terror attacks on the minorities and other selected targets in the country and then assign the responsibility on the opposition parties, particularly the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Islam (JI). There is evidence that the Hasina administration, in collaboration with the RAW, conducted similar mischievous acts in the past. These self-created terror attacks will be aimed at achieving a few objectives: 1) conduct crushing operations on the BNP and JI, 2) try to falsely convince the outside world to garner support for “secular” (in reality, pro-Indian) Sheikh Hasina for Bangladesh, and finally, 3) keep Bangladesh under Indian hegemony.
Coming Election
The next election is crucial for the suffering people of Bangladesh who are campaigning for a democratically elected government through a fair and free exercise of their choice under a neutral Caretaker Government (CTG). This election is also important for the US-led global democracies, which, fully aware of the past fraudulent electoral practices, continue to press for a credible franchise this time. To counter the Western pressure, Sheikh Hasina, with the help of her sponsors, is doing everything possible to extend her illegal but detested rule. The false flag of Islamophobia is one.
The resurgence of the propaganda is believed to be masterminded by the RAW to ensure its protege Sheikh Hasina continue in authority as the new election in Bangladesh is due in a few months. RAW’s misguided selling point is that Bangladesh will stoop to Islamic terrorism without “secularist” Hasina.
Indian Hegemony
It is widely believed that New Delhi was behind the conspiracy that led to the military-initiated takeover in Dhaka in January 2007 and the ultimate installation of Sheikh Hasina in the seat of Prime Minister in January 2009. “Islamophobia,” a false flag, was a successful selling point. India ensured Hasina to be in place by helping defraud the subsequent elections in 2014 and 2018. In exchange for staying in her throne, Hasina has been extending all economic and geopolitical benefits to its caretaker even at the cost of her country’s sovereignty and interests. The visiting (February 16-16, 2023) Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra re-confirmed that his country would continue to stand by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
One may recall, in December 2013, just a few weeks before the January 2014 elections, Sujatha Singh, Kwatra’s predecessor then, made a jet dash to Dhaka to prepare the ground for a Hasina victory. Consequently, the January 2014 election was a total one-sided farce in which more than half of the country did not have to vote, because 153, out of 300, members were pre-selected by the ruling regime. People displayed their disgust to the travesty by staying home; only some 5-10% could be paraded to booths. Other than the regime-aligned Jatiya Party, all opposition parties, including the largest Bangladesh Nationalist Party, refused to join the election without a CTG. The US, the UN, the EU, the Commonwealth and other international authorities tried to break the impasse, but the obstinate Hasina, backed by India, would not listen. In 2018, the story was worse. In the popularly known “midnight election,” ballot boxes were prefilled for chosen candidates the night before by the ruling party operatives in association with the local administration and election officials, bringing home a whopping 98% return for the Hasina team.
It is thus feared that the ruling regime will replay the past matches this time round too, if it is allowed to manage the next election. Kwatra’s assertion is a stark pointer. The opposition continues to demand the election under a neutral CTG.
Islamic Militancy: A False Flag
In the wake of the US sanctions in December 2021 against the draconian Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) for its proven gross human rights violations, Indian writer Subir Bhaumik, believed to be RAW affiliated, tried to make repeated calls that Bangladesh had no alternative to Sheikh Hasina to contain Islamic terrorism in the country. According to him, New Delhi continued to convince Washington on the idea. US’s alleged partnership in the scheme behind the January 2007 takeover suggests its apparent gullibility.
Bhaumik has a newfound Bangladeshi counterpart in Salahuddin Shoaib Chowdhury of the pro-regime media Blitz. Chowdhury also thinks Bangladesh would be a fertile ground for Islamic militancy in absence of Hasina. In an article published on February 14, 2023 in the Op-India, an Indian media known for its anti-Muslim bias, went further. He spewed his wrath against the US Biden administration for sanctions against the RAB, which he thought “combats terrorism and militancy,” and for planning additional sanctions against a wide range of Hasina officials. He also accused the US of being complicit with the BNP and JI by demanding credible elections that the people had not seen in decades, and thereby pushing the country towards a fundamentalist state and against the minority Hindus. (Ref:https://www.opindia.com/2023/02/bangladesh-chaos-help-usa-biden-administration-islamists-attack-hindus/amp/ Only an insane idiot can have such a weird notion!
Communal Harmony
That Bangladeshis, irrespective of faith, cohabit in a harmonious happiness is certified by many important personalities, including those from the US and India. Below are a few examples (Courtesy: Zoglul Husain, President of the Coalition for Human Rights and Democracy in Bangladesh).
- Rahul Gandhi, the leading opposition figure in India: After concluding a 5-day visit to Bangladesh in August 2008, Rahul Gandhi said that he found the Bangladeshi people very liberal and the country was not fundamentalist at all, despite the notion to the contrary propagated in India.(Ref: http://shahinsiddiquee.blogspot.co.uk/2008/08/blog-post.html
- Rupa Ganguli, a member of the Indian Upper House (Rajjo Sobha) belonging to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). After a visit to Dhaka in October 2016, Rupa Ganguli confirmed in a press meeting that the minority Hindus in Bangladesh were fine and they were happy. (Ref; বাংলাদেশে হিন্দুরা ভালো আছে | NTV Online (ntvbd.com).
- com, an India online media: “Neither Indian diplomats in Dhaka nor Hindu community leaders can recall a murder of a Hindu for purely religious reasons in years.” It adds: “The best thing about Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami (BJI) is that it doesn’t kill Hindus simply because of their faith. To be honest, the Jamaat pales into insignificance before monstrous Hindutva outfits that regularly target Muslims in India.” (Ref:http://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/the-monster-breathes-air/284276).
- US Ambassador to Bangladesh Dan Mozena, at the end of his tour of duty, said: “Bangladesh is an unique example for sectarian harmony. People of all faith groups cohabit in a harmonious manner in the country. All of them contribute to the development of the country.” (Ref: http://www.rtnn.net/bangla/newsdetail/detail/1/4/90063#.WDDY4RqLTmZ)
- Ambassador Mozena: “No religious clashes in Bangladesh, everywhere in the country, there’s peace and harmony. Recent violence, including those in Ramu and Ukhia, are not at all connected with religion, they are connected with corruption, greed, land grabbing, etc. (Ref: http://amadershomoy.biz/content/2013/09/11/middle0713.htm)
- Surendra Kumar Sinha (a Hindu), Chief Justice of Bangladesh: “There have been sectarian riots in many countries but there is no such evidence in Bangladesh in the past 50 years. (Ref: http://www.sheershanewsbd.com/2016/01/09/111761)
The writer is an activist for democracy and human rights and authored several books.