It is clear that religious extremists have been nothing if not emboldened since the fall of the previous government, taking full advantage of the void in law and order that Bangladesh has been undergoing for the past few months. Groups such as the Tawhidi Janata have been spreading their brand of hate across the country as they seek to oppose the secular, progressive ideals upon which the country was founded.
Late last month, a group calling itself the Islami Andolan Bangladesh was responsible for a girls football tournament being abruptly shuttered due to the extremist group’s protest, with similar events occurring in Dinajpur and Joypurhat. Similarly, we have seen cultural touchstones such as the Lalon Festival in Tangail being postponed after objections were raised by Hefazat-e-Islam -- while this particular incident saw some semblance of reason prevail eventually, the precedent had ostensibly already been set.
More recently, the aforementioned Tawhidi Janata is reported to have been responsible for carrying out violence and vandalism in Netrokona, where devotees of Hazrat Shah Newaz Fakir had constructed a shrine in preparation of an annual spiritual gathering -- an event which has been carried out for years now. Thankfully, in a rare instance of competent cooperation, the situation was brought under control by local law enforcement.
It is unfortunate that the rebirth of Bangladesh has been marred by an emboldened hardline element, but given just how unreasonable, retrograde, and prone to destruction that such groups have proven themselves both recently and in the past, it is all the more reason why the current administration needs to adopt a zero tolerance policy against them.
Bangladesh is home to a diverse population of various faiths and belief systems. If there is any message that was transmitted loud and clear by the student movement which brought down and autocracy, it is that Bangladesh will not bow down to those seeking to divide us.
