Jihadist groups and radical Islamist parties are campaigning across Bangladesh, demanding a ban on ISKCON, which they term a Jewish-funded religious group, and threatening Hindus with dire consequences while falsely claiming that a BUET student and a youth in Gazipur are involved.
Processions and rallies have been carried out in Dhaka and elsewhere for the last few days, with a coordinated showdown creating much hype on Friday, when al-Qaeda cleric Jasimuddin Rahmani featured a rally outside the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque.
Videos of radicals vowing to slaughter the Hindus, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have gone viral on social media. Political observers believe there is a planned conspiracy to incite communal tension, as the protests intensified after the police confirmed that the rape allegations in both cases were false.
Screenshots of Hindu students defaming Islam have also flooded Facebook, most of which are fake. On the other hand, the handles run by radicals are warning of Gazwatul Hind with photos of men with swords and guns.
The targeted mob attacks on Hindus have been carried out across the country very frequently since the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, last year, under the clear patronage of the pro-Islamist interim government.
On October 22, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said that the rape allegation against Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) student Sreeshanth Roy is not true. However, the investigation has found elements of hurting religious sentiments, molestation using cyberspace, or religious incitement, the police said. The court placed Sreeshanth in jail.
Earlier, the BUET campus became turbulent on Tuesday at midnight over allegations of molestation, hurting religious sentiments, and cyberbullying by Sreeshanth.
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On Wednesday morning, the university administration filed a case with the Chawkbazar police station under the Digital Security Act. Later, the police sent Sreesanth to court.
His fellow students at BUET told BBC Bangla that Sreeshanth used to make various “ugly” remarks about Islam and women on the social media Reddit under a pseudonym, which is why they have protested and sought justice.
Radical Islamist orator Shayakh Ahmadullah has incited hatred against the Hindus in his Facebook posts. Supporting the student movement, he wrote on Sunday that Sreeshanth’s hateful comments are not his personal crimes but communal crimes, and behind them is communal hatred or an attempt to destroy communal harmony and destabilise the country.
What happened in Gazipur?
Police are alarmed by the ongoing communal tension over the alleged rape of a 13-year-old madrasa student in Gazipur. On Saturday, Bangladesh Police issued a statement, saying that the girl in the Kaliakair area was in a love relationship with Joy Kumar Das of the same area.
The girl had previously run away with Joy Kumar Das twice and later returned voluntarily. On August 20, the girl ran away with the young man again and returned home after two days.
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On October 15, the girl’s mother, Mosha Shiuli Begum, filed a case with the Kaliakair police station accusing three: Joy Kumar Das, Loknath Chandra Das, and Sanjit Barman. The police have arrested Joy and Loknath.
The case says that on October 11, the victim’s mother went to ask Loknath about the rape incident at his shop, where he is an employee. Then Loknath and his shop owner and nephew, Sanjit Barman, beat up the woman. Then the whole incident became known among the locals.
She accused Joy of kidnapping and rape by luring and misleading her. The other two were charged with aiding and abetting.
On October 22, Gazipur police said that there is a lot of criticism on social media regarding the incident. Work has been completed in compliance with the law and regulations ever since the case was filed. The claims that the accused are exempt from the case or that the case is unimportant are false. The district police are working to ensure the maximum punishment by bringing the real criminals under the law.
The radical Islamists are not happy with the police’s version that Joy and the girl had a romantic relationship.
Intifada Bangladesh, a newly formed group of jihadists inspired by al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, has demanded that the victim cannot be blamed, and the behaviour of the police and administration must be transparent.
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On this incident, Ahmadullah claimed that there had been allegations for a long time that an organised group is raping Muslim girls by trapping them in so-called love relationships, but no visible action has been taken by the administration.
He further said that if there is any communal motive or extremist sentiment in these so-called love-trapped rape incidents, then it is a serious threat to the peace and order of the country. The government must take strict action in these incidents.
Abduction of Mohibullah
The alleged abduction of Mufti Mohibullah Miyaji, the Khatib of TNT Bazar Jame Mosque in Tongi of Gazipur, is the key reason behind the latest protests against ISKCON. He was found in Panchagarh a day after he went missing on October 22.
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He has alleged that miscreants abducted him for criticising ISKCON. They tortured him in custody and left him lying naked and chained to a tree by the side of the road in the helipad area of the Upazila Sadar.
Ahmed Rafiq, a member of Intifada Bangladesh, demanded a ban on ISKCON on Friday, claiming that they kidnapped the khatib for speaking out against ISKCON. These incidents continue to occur one after another.
Nijhoom Majumder reveals plot
Human rights activist Barrister and Solicitor Nijhoom Majumder has said that jihadist Ataur Rahman Bikrampuri is inciting violence against the Hindu community by spreading a false allegation.
In a video on Saturday, Nijhoom cited Ataur Rahman as threatening to burn down Hindu houses and labelled it a rape case. He is even trying to pin the blame for the kidnapping of Mohibullah on ISKCON.
“ISKCON is an organisation of Sanatan Dharma, which is dedicated to Krishna love. With this false allegation, they are demanding a ban on ISKCON and are planning to attack Hindus,” Nijhoom added.
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They are planning to launch attacks on the Hindus in Cumilla’s Lalmai.
The aim of this incitement is to create anarchy in Bangladesh to thwart the elections. The sudden rally of the NCP at Shapla Chattar, setting fire to various places, and the call to ban ISKCON and attack Hindus—these are part of a larger conspiracy. Even a police officer, Sajjad Ali, has declared war on India.
These incidents are an attempt to provoke India and create international tension through atrocities against Hindus, he added.
Nijhoom said that this conspiracy is going on in the name of the so-called kangaroo court trial against 15 army officers in Bangladesh. Its purpose is to divert the attention of the people and create chaos in the elections.
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“I appeal to the peace-loving Muslims, Islamists, and religious scholars of Bangladesh to protest against the incitement of militants like Ataur Rahman Bikrampuri. They are trying to incite riots by calling a love affair rape and blaming ISKCON for the kidnapping of the Imam. I am not in favour of rape, but I am talking about the motives of these militants.
“These incidents indicate a plan for major riots or genocide in Bangladesh. For the last two or three days, I have been getting information from various sources that a conspiracy to shed blood is going on in Bangladesh, centred on ISKCON and Hindus. Such an act will not only destroy the internal peace of the country but may also damage relations with India. I am sure that the people of Bangladesh will understand this conspiracy and will stop it.”
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