It is now quite obvious that a certain group belonging to a certain sect of Islam, namely Sunnis, has taken it upon itself to have their violent say against all others -- Shias, moderate Sunnis, Sunnis with a Sufism bend, and then the other religions -- Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists. This group would like all Ahmadiyyas to be declared heretics and about the atheist, well, you know what it wants.
This group only wants its way of observance of Islam to become the norm. The group is most likely an eclectic mix. These people are not IS-related or al-Qaeda funded, but there is a whole lot who have formed groups to wreak havoc among the common Bangalis.
Many of them are offshoots from the now-almost-decimated BNP-Jamaat alliance, young people indoctrinated by Wahhabi teachers, and many more.
The landmass of Bangladesh has had communal problems throughout history. From a land where there were firstly Hindus and then Buddhists, then about a thousand years back Islam arrived, and a few hundred years later Christian missionaries started preaching the words of Christ, Bangladesh today is country of many religions but one religion, Islam, has followers in the upper 80 percentile.
However, in spite of secularism being one of the pillars of the original constitution of the new state (1972 version), the military ruler HM Ershad enacted Islam as the state religion and in the 25 years since the fall of that dictator, the subsequent governments have not had the courage to overrule the dictator’s “populist” amendment and go back to the secularism of the original constitution of 1972. The results of this reluctance did not bode well for the country.
There were always communal ill-feelings, there were riots. There was the oppression of the poor from time immemorial. The riots around the time of the breaking up of India had many dimensions. There were riots between Hindus and Muslims in the1950s, and then quiet a severe one in 1964. In independent Bangladesh, full scale riots have not happened, Ershad tried to incite one, days before leaving office. Some regional fracas happened with Hindus mostly at the receiving end.
Things took a turn for the sinister from the early 90s. Attacks were made on the Bokhshi Bazaar establishment of the Ahmadiyyas. Around the same time, vehement calls were made to enact a blasphemy law, Taslima Nasrin had to flee the country. Gradually, some other rationalist writers were targeted, attempts on poet Shamshur Rahman, the fatal attack on progressive groups, the attack on Udichi took place.
Things took a turn for the most terrible when bombs were blasted at Ramna Botomul in 2001. That Sunni group that I had mentioned earlier were now galvanised into a potent force of execution.
We have been in the grip of such terror ever since -- the attack on the AL rally in 2004, regular incidents of desecration of Hindu worship places and idols at puja time, attacks and killings of Christian missionaries, the devastating attack on the Bouddha Bihar at Ramu. Not to forget the rise of JMB, the nationwide bombing in a single day, the attacks on the courts at Gazipur and Jhalokathi.
The recent spate of murders of atheist bloggers falls in the same category of actions of that certain group of Sunnis. Well, it began with the hacking attack on Humayun Azad, who later died in Germany, never having recovered from the nightmare of the Jihadis descending on him with machetes.
The international media have been painting a grim picture of Bangladesh ever since the murders of atheist bloggers started.
The recent killing of two foreign nationals have made many countries issue travel warnings. This will affect our image in the world.
And what about the normal Sunnis of the country? They adhere to the faith as best they can, but they also go singing and dancing to the Bangla New Year celebrations. They like to visit a Puja Mandap, partaking of delicious sweets while enjoying the sound of the beating drums.
But the radical Sunni group, who may be a hodgepodge of many elements, does not like this fraternity amongst peoples of different faiths. They even attacked the Shias as they were preparing for the Tazia procession of Holy Muharram.
I have been to many a Muharram fair near the city’s Lalbagh area, and enjoyed the colourfully decorated shops and a plate of tehari on shalpata.
Never liked the matam (lamenting) by the extremely devout making cuts over their chests or backs, but that was their way of showing lament on an Islamic tragedy. Such tolerance, however, is not acceptable to the radicals.
They would rather mow down than look the other way.
I was hearing this Christian priest who was talking to a TV channel recently. He spoke in heartbreaking words: “How do I deliver a sermon to the devotees with extra police guards inside my church?” There was a failed attempt to behead a priest recently.
The same question bothers me too. How I do stay in this country of so many traditions and festivals and partake of all the fanfare without constantly looking over my shoulder?