Bangladesh has historically been a country of communal harmony. From time immemorial, the people of this country have been living in harmony with each other by maintaining communal harmony. For thousands of years, people of all religions and castes, including Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Chakmas, Marmas, and Santals, have been living together in this land by maintaining mutual harmony. And for this harmony it is said, 'Religion for individuals, festivals for all'.
The single and active ingredient in our great victory in the war of liberation is the power of our non-communal consciousness. After independence, the country started its journey with the vision of establishing a modern, progressive, equality, justice and a welfare state for all.
But it is unfortunate that the state which was born with a non-communal consciousness through independence could not be free from communal philosophy and thought even after 50 years of its independence. The minority community of this country is being persecuted at different times by an evil force only for the sake of religion, by capitalizing on that religion, by misinterpreting the religion.
Recently in Narail, Hindu houses were vandalized and set on fire due to accusations of blasphemy on Facebook. Incidents of such communal violence are seen happening after a few days.
We have seen in last year that communal violence erupted across the country over the desecration of the Quran Sharif, which was kept by a 'miscreant' in the lap of an idol during the Durga Puja festival in Cumilla.
The thousand-year-old tradition of Hindu-Muslim harmony has been shattered in an instant by a well-planned conspiracy of an evil force that has created communal riots. Attempts to destabilize the country by attacking and vandalizing temples in different parts of the country by making isolated incidents as an "issue" with propaganda are nothing new. These activities are fueled by extremist communal forces and political forces in the name of religion.
Today, it has become imperative to eradicate the evil forces that have risen to destroy the communal harmony of the Bengalis with the aim of destabilizing the country, destroying religious coexistence.
We have to be 'human' above all religions, castes and tribes. Who has humanity, who has values, who has the observance of humanism , to whom human identity is paramount-- he/she can never insult another or the religion of another, he/she can never oppress people of another religion, he/she cannot be violent towards others.
According to a statistic, between January 2007 and October 2021, 2,000 temples were vandalized in the country. At that time, 350 members of the minority community were killed and 400 were raped. The worst attack on the Hindu community has taken place at Chirirbandar in Dinajpur. Earlier, on February 9 and 10, 2012, attacks and arsons on Hindus in Chittagong's Hathazari and the incident of Satkhira seemed the use of religion as a purpose of political tool.
Reviewing the history, it can be seen that in the past, communal riots were the main incidents of murder and rape of women. But an analysis of recent events of the attacks on 15 July 2022 in Narail, 13 October 2021 in Cumilla and Ramuupazila of Cox's Bazar district on 29 September 2012 shows that the main aim of the attackers was to destabilize the country and tarnish the country's image in the international arena and destroy the atmospheric communal harmony.
The living standards of the people of the country have improved; Social and religious harmony has increased-- the radical party, an evil force, wants to destroy all this.
Most of the people in this country are religious and weak towards religion. But most of the people don't have the real knowledge of religion. And a marked group takes advantage of this weakness of the people. These identified groups have always wanted to use this sensitive issue as a tool. They have done business with religion by misinterpreting, they have done politics with religion. Recent events are the example to us.
Forgetting all the differences of religion, caste and tribe, inspired by non-communal consciousness, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists and Christians all fought for liberation together. But it is a matter of great regret that even after 50 years of independence, we have not seen the desired state of non-communal consciousness.
There is still communal violence going on here. Murder, terror, assault, vandalism, anarchy go only for religious beliefs, disbelief or differences of religion. The neighbour of our next door became a victim of violence only because of differences in religious beliefs. But why? What kind of country did we want? Why do people still have to live here as a 'minority'? If the majority can live as 'human', why can't the minority live as 'human'?
Religion and religious belief is a personal matter for everyone. Religious law does not have the right to force religion on anyone. All religions speak of peace. Yet why is there so much anti-politics, unrest, anarchy, violence, fights, violence surrounding religion? And behind it, the artisans are a kind of impious, selfish, and hippocratic religious business community.
Reviewing the history, it can be seen that at different times, religious events have been made an issue and has become a powerful weapon of politics.
From time immemorial, in recent times, those who have deliberately used religion to destroy our communal harmony, destabilize the country, and use religion to commit politics are the enemies of the country, the nation and all religions. We have to be vocal against communal forces to stop their misdeeds.
Because, whatever the religion or what the belief of individual is, the country belongs to all of us. In the country which became independent in 1971 with the aim of building a non-communal Bangladesh, we have to work together shoulder to shoulder to resist the communal evil forces and implement the non-communal consciousness.
Writer is a researcher, journalist, and columnist
