Bangladesh belongs to people of all faiths, assured Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Indeed, people from all religions fought in the Liberation War to bring this country into being. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice for the nation.
Regardless of religious affiliation -- whether Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian -- all are Bangladeshi.
Over the years, many seem to have forgotten, or strayed from this secular spirit, that has been part of the nation’s founding. Again and again, we have seen communal hatred raise its ugly head. While it is a statistical fact that Muslims make up the overwhelming majority of the nation’s population, this does not by any means give anyone the right to harass or oppress members of minority communities.
The law should protect every citizen equally, and here, citizens share the responsibility of showing due respect to someone else’s faith. Respect, after all, is a two-way street: It is not enough to demand it from others, it must also be given.
The destruction of idols and the vandalizing of temples are activities that, as a nation, leave us deeply ashamed. The government, we hope, will make it abundantly clear that crimes against religious minorities will not be tolerated, and that the freedom to worship applies to all, not just a select few.
In combatting the ills of communal violence and religious intolerance, we must be realistic. A lack of education and proper dissemination of our values is responsible for the deep levels of intolerance that exist within our country -- many seem entirely unaware that secular freedoms are constitutionally protected.
The challenge before us, then, is largely one of changing hearts and minds.