Bangladesh seems to be travelling on the same path earlier used by Pakistan
The Partition of India, which first resulted in the creation of East and West Pakistan in 1947 and then Bangladesh in 1971, has been hounding the minorities in these countries with unimaginable atrocities. The minorities in Pakistan predominantly consist of Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and even Ahmadis, as well as various Shia Muslim sects. Those in Bangladesh consist of Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. Pakistan and Bangladesh have adopted Islam as their state religion, and minorities here mainly suffer religious persecutions. The other challenges before these minorities are discrimination, violence and sectarianism. However, the worst is loss of their property and lives.
The recent murder of the 58-year-old prominent Hindu community leader from Bangladesh, Bhabesh Chandra Roy, is the latest incident, which clearly shows how unsafe minorities are in these countries. Roy was allegedly abducted from his home in Dinajpur district in northern Bangladesh and taken to Narabari village, where he was brutally assaulted. Roy was unconscious when he was sent back home, and though his family rushed him to hospital, he could not be saved.
Issuing a strong diplomatic rebuke to Bangladesh, India accused the Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladeshi interim government of failing to protect its minorities. “We reject the remarks made by the Bangladesh side with regard to the violent incidents in West Bengal,” stated External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, adding that, “This killing follows a pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government even as the perpetrators of previous such events roam with impunity.”
Congress also strongly condemned the “brutal killing”, calling it a disturbing reflection of the growing insecurity faced by minorities in the neighbouring country. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said, “Over the past months, there have been repeated and deeply disturbing instances of attacks on minority communities in Bangladesh, from desecration of Hindu temples to targeted attacks on the homes and businesses of minorities.”
As Bangladesh continues to witness sporadic incidents of violence since its former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina’s ouster last year, the United States has now reissued a travel advisory to its citizens urging them to reconsider their plans to visit Bangladesh. This is nothing but Bangladesh’s own doing, which has evolved out of its hate towards the neighbours, especially India. Last year, the Student–People’s Uprising forced the then-prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to abandon Bangladesh, thus causing constitutional crises in the country. It appears that Bangladesh is now travelling on the same path earlier used by Pakistan, which forced Pakistan to face persistent economic and political challenges, including a high rate of debt and a significant portion of its population living in poverty.
Unfortunately, India has no option of choosing its neighbours. Although Pakistan and Bangladesh have both introduced parliamentary democracy into their political systems, they have rarely given evidence to show that their administrations run with true democratic spirit.
In fact, what can India expect from the countries, one of which having hanged its own prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, while the other assassinated its president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, along with most of his family, during a military coup? Fortunately, no one can stop India from officially condemning the atrocities against minorities in these countries. And it is doing just that!
