Will the Hindu protest in Dhaka create a new storm in Bangladesh politics? Will the stalled construction of the 81-feet high Lord Ram statue resume or will the controversy deepen? Will the questions being raised on the security of minorities become a big challenge for the Bangladesh government? Can the movement of Hindu organizations take a nationwide form after the 72-hour ultimatum?
Dhaka: The biggest and most stressful news of this time is coming from the Muslim-majority neighboring country Bangladesh. The streets of the capital Dhaka were filled with thousands of Hindu protesters and people with burning torches. With deafening slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and blazing torches in their hands, the minority Hindu community has opened a front against the Bangladesh government. The anger that arose after the alleged gross insult to the picture of Sanatan Dharma’s idol Lord Ram and the forced stoppage of the project of a huge statue of him has now taken the form of a big nationwide movement.
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80% work completed and then…the shadow of a bulldozer looms over the 81 feet high Ram idol!
This entire controversy started from Palashbari area of North Gaibandha district. An 81-foot-tall historic statue of Lord Rama was being constructed there as part of a grand temple complex. The estimated cost of this entire project is around 22 crore Bangladeshi Taka (about Rs 15.6 crore), which also includes the huge statues of Lord Krishna and Shiva. About 80 percent of the work on the statue was completed, but then radical Islamic groups and a preacher made a terrible threat to demolish the statue directly with a ‘bulldozer’. Temple Committee Chairman Haridas Chandra Das cried and said that he was very scared and due to this fear the work had to be stopped.
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Shoe on the picture and burning torches at Shahbagh intersection: 72 hour ultimatum!
The suspense and anger reached new heights when it was claimed that a radical Islamic mob openly insulted the holy image of Lord Ram by placing a shoe on it during a demonstration earlier this month. The fire of this insult was visible on the streets of Dhaka on Friday. On the call of ‘Hindu Mahajot’ and students, thousands of people surrounded the main Shahbagh intersection and took out a massive march to the National Press Club. The protesters have given a straight 72-hour ultimatum to the newly elected government of Prime Minister Tariq Rahman, saying that if the accused are not arrested immediately, they will not keep quiet.
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‘Ram temple will be built in all 64 districts’…the biggest counterattack of Hindus so far
Hindu organizations have now decided to wage an all-out fight against the attacks on minorities. Hindu Mahajot has openly warned the Bangladesh government that if permission is not given to resume the construction work of Lord Ram idol in Palashbari, then they will go ahead with the legal battle and build grand Ram temples one by one in all the 64 districts of Bangladesh. Minor clashes have also been recorded between police and Hindus in Rangpur area after police tried to stop the protesters, making the atmosphere more sensitive.
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133 communal incidents and the litmus test of Tariq Rehman government
Hindus are the largest religious minority in Bangladesh, constituting about 8% of the total population. This dreadful turn has come at a time when there has been a recent political change in the country after the reign of Muhammad Yunus and Tariq Rehman took over as the Prime Minister in February 2046. Although PM Rehman had said in his national address that “the country belongs to everyone”, the ground reality is telling something else. According to statistics, 133 tragic incidents of communal violence have been recorded between January 1 and March 31 this year. After the memorandum was submitted to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the protests are now expected to continue on Saturday. The eyes of the whole world are now on Dhaka whether the Tariq Rahman government will be able to calm this suspense and huge tension or whether Bangladesh will move towards a new internal civil war.
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What did the temple committee say on stopping the construction of the idol?
Sri Sri Radha Govind Mandir Committee President Haridas Chandra Das said that the work had to be stopped due to threats. He said that there is an atmosphere of fear in the community and has appealed to the government to intervene. Committee advisor Shyamlal Kumar Mahanta said that the decision to stop the construction has been taken with the aim of maintaining social harmony. The committee says that it does not want to escalate any controversy, but wishes to complete this project related to religious faith.