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Published : 17 Jun 2023, 02:51 AM
A senior leader of Bangladesh’s leading minority pressure group has accused the Sheikh administration of allowing Jamaat-e-Islami, a party on the fringe of the political spectrum for over a decade, to reenter the political mainstream.
Rana Dasgupta, the general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council, also heavily criticised the government for “not doing enough for the minorities”.
Speaking at a programme in Mymensingh on Friday, he claimed the government’s inaction and failure to protect the minorities have emboldened the radicals and “communalism increased tenfold in present Bangladesh compared to Pakistan-era”.
“The government earlier compromised its integrity by bowing to demands made by Hifazat-e Islam [an influential Islamic pressure group in Bangladesh] and allowed printing matters related to sectarianism in children’s textbooks. On the other hand, now it [the government] is letting the Jamaat [Jamaat-e-Islami] organise a rally in the capital city,” he said
“They [the government] are saying it is a strategy to secure and maintain their position in the corridors of power. We’d like to say that strategy is fine, but what they [the government] are doing is a ploy, which should never be a part of politics.”
Allowing Jamaat-e-Islami, which opposed Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan, to hold a rally at the heart of the capital last week in more than a decade surprised many political observers.
It triggered a debate in the social sphere whether the Awami League fielded the Jamaat, which has remained on the fringe due to decade-long government clampdown, for a twist in Bangladesh’s politics, or the BNP sent the Jamaat out to strengthen its anti-government movement, or the Jamaat itself has something else in its plan.
Although it never formed a government alone nor had a strong presence in parliament, the Jamaat has always been a significant force in Bangladesh’s politics. An analysis of voting data showed that the party’s voter base is 5 percent of the total.
Rana Dasgupta is a former lead prosecutor in the International Crimes Tribunal, which adjudicated the trials of several top Jamaat-e-Islami politicians for their involvement in crimes against humanity during the 1971 Independence War.
He also said his group “would reconsider whom to vote for in the upcoming general election if Awami League does not up the ante to protect them”.
According to the 2022 National Census, Hindus make up 7.95 percent of the total population in Bangladesh, while Buddhists and Christians are below 1 percent.
The previous census in 2011 put the Hindu population in Bangladesh at 8.54 percent.
The latest census indicates that the Hindu population, the majority of whom historically voted for Awami League in general elections, in Bangladesh is on the decline.
“We [the minorities] are frustrated and angry. The era of giving a pat on our head is over. We will not bow down to any intimidation,” he said.
