Bangladesh is one of the nations in South Asia with majority Muslim population and its Islamic roots traces to peaceful sufi and other movements in South Asia, much like the contemporary Bhakti Movement from Hinduism. This land of Bengal is deliberately being turned into violent and intolerant for others. This is quite opposite to the temperament of Bengali people. Who unlike people from other “Islamic” countries, where far-right political doctrines are seeked to be merged with the teachings of Islam, speak out against fanaticism.
It is heartening to know that Judiciary and those at the realm of authority have denounced mixing of religion and politics of hate in Bangladesh, in conformity with the teachings of Islam which asks its believers to protect places of worship of other faiths. The High Court ordered the government to restore the damaged temples, houses and shops in Hathazari to their previous state. Following an altercation between the Hindu devotees and Muslims while passing a mosque on Feb 9, a number of temples were vandalised and torched and a number of houses and business establishments of Hindu minority were looted on Feb 9-10.
According to the local media, Hindus in the area took out a procession to celebrate the founding anniversary of Loknath Sebasram Thursday morning. They used microphone and drums in the procession. When the procession was passing a mosque, Muslims in the mosque forbade them to drums. At one stage, someone started the attack by hurling a brick bat on the procession.
It is heartening to know that Bangladeshi courts are playing a positive role by seeking to restore peace and order. Which is the very essence of Islam and that of other faiths.
Restore Hathazari temples, shops: HC
The High Court has summoned the Chittagong district superintendent of police ZA Morshed and the officer in charge of Hathazari police station Samiul Islam over the Feb 9-10 vandalism of Hindu temples in the area. The bench of justices A H M Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Jahangir Hossain gave the suo motu ruling after their attention was drawn to an article on the incident published in a weekly supplement of an English daily New Age. The court directed inspector general of police to supervise the case filed over the incidents.
Supreme Court lawyer and Ganaforum leader Subrata Chowdhury urged for the court’s attention to the article. The court also ordered the police to bring to the court those responsible for the incident after marking them out if they have not been arrested. “Even if they have been arrested, they should also be brought to the court.”
The High Court ordered the government on Thursday to restore the damaged temples, houses and shops in Hathazari to their previous state. Following an altercation between the Hindu devotees and Muslims while passing a mosque on Feb 9, a number of temples were vandalised and torched and a number of houses and business establishments of Hindu minority were looted on Feb 9-10.
We Muslims, who seek to live by the standards of tolerance and co-existence as led in Islam hail Bangladesh courts and its civil rights activists. Further we request government of Bangladesh to take concrete steps by creating such democratic and civil rights structures which will permanently address the issue of protection of minority rights. Also, we support any acts of government of Bangladesh and its civil society which will seeks to promote interfaith harmony amongst people of all faiths. We further urge Muslims of Bangladesh to stand side by side with their Hindu neighbours and comfort their grieving hearts in the same manner done by Muslims from Iraq, Nigeria and Egypt where Muslim youth took responsibility of security of Christians to protect them from violent attacks and Caucasus where Muslims have for long co-existed with other faiths and rest of ummah. Not to forget Hindu-Muslim friendship, which has existed in South Asia for centuries.
Please sign the petition to voice your concern to Prime minister of Bangladesh, National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh and HRCBM Bangladesh to prevent such happenings in future by taking concrete steps for creation of such democratic and civil rights structures which will permanently address the issue of protection of minority rights. Also, we support any acts of government of Bangladesh and its civil society which will seeks to promote interfaith harmony amongst people of all faiths here.