‘Attack on Hindus are purely communal, not political’

Sitangshu Guha

Religious Affairs Advisor AFM Khalid Hasan said that ‘harassment of Hindus is not communal’, rather it is 'political' (bdnews24.com 7 Sep 2024). Honorable advisor, If it is so, then why the Hindu youth, Utsav Mandal, 19 who has no political identity was killed? It is not just that, Utsab was killed in front of the police, and the military within the police station, by the madrassa students, because he was a Hindu. Violence against Hindus is all communal. If it is not, why are the Hindu temples being attacked while the Mosques are not attacked. You are outraged at Sheikh Hasina, she built 560 model mosques, why are not attacked? Sheikh Hasina did not build any temple, yet Hindu temples are being attacked, because it is communal persecution. Hindu singer Rahul Anand's house was attacked and he was evicted, because he is a Hindu, even though he was not involved with Awami League politics? Ritmik Ghatak's house is destroyed, because  he bears a Hindu name! Shall I give more examples? Honorable Advisor, you have visited Dhakeshwari temple several times, because the attacks on Hindus are communal. The Amir of the Jamaat also visited. The chief adviser too visited the Dhakeshwari temple because the attacks on Hindus are simply communal. The New York Times, Fox News, and the world's major media published news of Hindu persecution, destruction of their temples. Still you will say that Hindu persecution is political. You are a religious advisor, dealing with religion, please speak the truth.

In the same event, religious advisor AFM Khalid Hasan also said, "More Muslim houses were set on fire than the Hindu houses’. Well, according to the population census, Hindus are only 8% of the total population, then if 12 Muslim houses are burnt, 1 Hindu house should be burnt, if 12 Muslims die in lynching, 1 Hindu should die, if 12 Muslim girls are raped, 1 Hindu girl should be raped (should not be raped either Hindu or Muslim), if 12 mosques are attacked, 1 temple should be attacked, right sir? Is that what is happening in Bangladesh, honorable religious advisor? Honorable Advisor, you are most powerful now, you can give us a statistic from the government on that if you wish. Please do so, the nation needs to know this. Honorable religious advisor, the nation has been listening to this type of talk for the last 53 years, now that the country has become independent again, the nation wants to hear the truth and only truth from the advisors.