Exiled activist urges Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to stop attacks on Hindus

DHAKA: Exiled Bangladeshi author and activist Taslima Nasreen has written to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, expressing grave concern over escalating attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, urging him to ensure minority safety and take a firm stand against “fanaticism and mob terror” carried out in the name of religion.

“You had said that equal rights for all citizens, regardless of religion or ethnicity, would be ensured in Bangladesh. But in reality, we are once again witnessing attacks on Hindus, the grabbing of their land, and the destruction of their lives on the basis of rumours and allegations,” Nasreen wrote.

She cited several recent incidents in which Hindu youths were targeted by extremist groups over accusations of “insulting Islam” — including schoolteacher Gouranga Sarkar in Satkhira, computer lab operator Mithu Mondal in Gopalganj, and Shaon Chandra Das in Gouripur — noting that in each case, police arrested the victims rather than the attackers. Prior to Das’s arrest, an Islamist group had staged protest marches demanding his hanging.

Nasreen condemned these as part of a “terrifying conspiracy” to systematically make Bangladesh devoid of Hindus, pointing to a longer pattern of homes being burnt, temples vandalised, and minorities jailed or forced to flee the country.

She questioned whether authorities had taken any real action against those inciting anti-Hindu hatred, warning that state silence only encourages perpetrators.

“Allegations of blasphemy have become a weapon to suppress dissent, persecute minorities, and spread social terror,” she said. “Freedom of speech is one of the fundamental pillars of democracy. Yet today, freedom of speech in Bangladesh barely exists.” (IANS)

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