We strongly condemn Friday's brutal attack on the Ahmadiyya community incited by Islamists in Panchgarh.
With at least two people having lost their lives and over a dozen more, including law enforcers, being injured, this attack was nothing more than an utter act of malice by those who have nothing but hatred and strife in their hearts.
The fact that the violence and vandalism were carried out by close to 500 people as they stormed the Ahmadiyya village after Jumma prayers points to the incident being a planned attack by the perpetrators.
It is indeed a sad reminder of just how retrograde some minds can be with regards to communalism, that there are still extremist groups who think they can get away with threatening minority groups, religious or otherwise.
The cowardly attack was in response to the “jalsha,” an annual gathering of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, which Islamist groups always seem to take issues with, even getting the event cancelled in prior years as it has happened this time around as well.
While the attack did witness the engagement of law enforcers even they were not spared from brickbats as the attack spread far beyond its initial area of origin.
While the attackers and those who had incited the incident all need to be brought to book and punished accordingly, the government cannot afford to remain stoic on such incidents as it would further embolden extremist voices to rally those who harbour communalistic sentiments into action.
There can be no tolerance for communalism in our country.
We all need to collectively make it very clear that Bangladeshis will not stand for our minority groups being threatened into silence, and that those who wish to sow the seeds of division have no place here.
