The facade of ‘pro-democracy, anti-government’ protests, which led to the unceremonious ouster of Sheikh Hasina as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, is quickly falling apart.
The targeted attacks on the Hindu community, coupled with concerted attempts to push Bangladesh further into the jaws of Islamism have exposed the nefarious designs of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI).
Just on Thursday (8th August), a mob of madrassa students changed the name of the ‘Father of the nation’ from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rehman to Prophet Ibrahim.
Expressway has been renamed from Bangabondhu sheikh mujibur Rahman to father of nation Hazrat Ibrahim (A:) by the mass people in Bangladesh.#Alhamdulillah #MashaAllah #MuslimBrotherhood pic.twitter.com/WWPifFJuUv
— Eusha Bin Saad (@Beingeusha2003) August 8, 2024
As per reports, they vandalised the nameplate of the Dhaka–Bhanga Expressway which was constructed in 2020. It was the first expressway in Bangladesh and named after the ‘Father of the nation.’
The madrassa students tore down Mujibur Rehman’s name and replaced it with ‘Prophet Ibrahim’. As such, the new name of the expressway read ‘Father of Nation Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) Expressway’. And it is just more than an act of mere symbolism.
The development came against the backdrop of similar vandalism and defacement of statues of the ‘Father of the Nation.’ Islamists associated with JeI, BNP and similar extremist outfits are gradually taking the reigns of the State.
Law enforcement surrenders before BNP, Jamaat
After having attacked and killed police officials with impunity under the pretext of ‘anti-government protests’, Islamists are now providing ‘security’ to police officials.
According to a report by ‘Jugantar’, members of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami are ensuring the safety of cops stationed at Begumganj Chowki in Noakhali. The development was confirmed by BNP leaders Mohammed Ahsanullah and Morshdul Amin Faisal.
Following the resignation of Sheikh Hasina on 5th August this year, the Begumganj police station came under attack from extremists. Since then, Jamaat and BNP have taken it upon themselves to protect the cops.
This gives us a crystal clear idea as to how law enforcement authorities, who are tasked to provide security to common people, are themselves fearing for their lives.
Religious minorities, who are terrorised by these Islamist groups, cannot seek help from the police as the latter is now dependent on these extremists for protection.
To make things worse, 2200 members of the BNP and Jammat were released on bail. They were arrested for creating mayhem on the streets of Bangladesh in the name of ‘anti-quota protests’.
Jamaat e Islami vows to separate India’s north East, Islamise the entire region
According to a report by Bartaman, Jamaat-e-Islami is eyeing to divide the northeastern part of India.
“Since August 5, there has been a flood of anti-India posts on social media from Bangladesh and Pakistan. One thing is clear to the Indian intelligence- through the Jamaat, the Pakistani spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has made a new target of Northeast India or the ‘Seven Sisters’,” it stated.
“Activated their dormant Bangladesh network and North-East India desk. A former brigadier and a colonel have been tasked with establishing contact with militants in northeast India. And amidst all this, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday that they are with Bangladesh in exchange. Islamabad congratulated them in advance before the formation of the interim government,” it added.
৮ আগস্ট 'বর্তমান' পত্রিকার হেডলাইন – "এবার জামাতের টার্গেট উত্তর-পূর্ব ভারত ভাগ"। ৯ আগস্ট 'বর্তমান' পত্রিকার হেডলাইন – "ইসলামিক বাংলাস্তানের লক্ষ্যে জামাত" @BJP4Bengal @salah_shoaib @SuvenduWB @tathagata2 @tjt4002 @Tithiroy1160992 pic.twitter.com/HFznM24p2U
— Kishor Das (@KishorD11800080) August 9, 2024
Another report by Bartaman stated that Jamaat was also fantasising about doing Ghazwa-e-Hindu and turning the entire region Islamic.
“The supporters of Jamaat and Hefazat-e-Islam across social media have only one demand – this time, the end of Ghazwa-e-Hind (holy war against non-Muslims) and the achievement of ‘Islamic Bangladesh’,” it read.
“The proposed Banglastan includes the whole of Bangladesh, West Bengal, a large part of Jharkhand, Kishanganj in Bihar, Katihar, Jhapa in Nepal, Rakhine and Arakan regions in Myanmar, parts of Andaman and parts of Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Manipur in northeastern India,” it further added.
Appointment of Islamist in caretaker government
On 8th August, Hefazat-e-Islam leader AFM Khalid Hossain was sworn in as a member of the caretaker government, which is led by US asset Muhammad Yunus.
Muhammad Yunus, who is Bangladesh's only Nobel laureate and a harsh critic of Hasina, cautioned that India's North-East and West Bengal state, along with Myanmar, would be affected if Bangladesh became unstable.#BangladeshCrisis #MuhammadYunus https://t.co/3IwVHjnuUO
— Business Standard (@bsindia) August 9, 2024
On 5th August, the incumbent Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin ordered the immediate release of Begum Khaleda Zia, who had previously been jailed for embezzling $250,000 in donations meant for an orphanage.
Under her Prime Ministership, there was severe mushrooming of radical Islamic outfits in Bangladesh, increased infiltration in India’s North-east region and systematic persecution of the Hindu community.
Hefazat-e-Islam was founded in Chittagong in January 2010 by Islamist Ahmad Shafi aiming to ‘safeguard’ Islam from claimed anti-Islamic initiatives. The Islamist group also aimed at abolishing secularism and propagating hard-core Islamic beliefs. The group’s formation was prompted by the 2009 Women Development Policy draft, which suggested equal inheritance rights for women.
Anti-Hindu attacks continue unabated
OpIndia has documented cases of atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh by Islamists masquerading as ‘pro-democracy, anti-quota and anti-government’ protestors. The total number of incidents of attacks on minorities has reached 205.
Mala Roy, who works with the channel ‘BDNews24’, shared one such video of the Islamist onslaught in the Thakurgaon district in Rangpur Division. Reports of attacks on the Hindu community and their Kali temples were also published in the Bangla media.
One such attempt to set fire to a Hindu temple was thwarted by locals in Domar upazila in Nilphamari District of Bangladesh.
In a Facebook video, one Hindu woman narrated how her family was targeted overnight by Islamist mobs. She stated that her 15-year-old brother was assaulted at knifepoint. They also stole Tk 3 lakh from the family.
“Look how they have vandalised our houses…Is this the work of a human? They are claiming that this is an independent country now. See what they have done to my underage brother,” she narrated the ordeal.
“It’s a curse to be a Sanatani in Bangladesh. I, as a student, am asking why my house is being targeted,” the Hindu woman continued. She pointed out that 3-4 other Hindu houses were attacked in a similar fashion.
While speaking to OpIndia, Hindus living in Bangladesh informed that Jamaat-e-Islami members have been making a list of Hindu businesses and Hindu houses since the fall of Sheikh Hasina.
“There are some local Muslims who are trying the help us, but thousands are trying to kill us”, a victim informed.
