The political impasse in Bangladesh is worsening with each hour it passes and the trigger-happy reaction of Jamaat and its Islamist accomplices following Qader Mullah’s execution is virtually holding the entire country to ransom. Exploiting the apparent political indisposition of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (known for hobnobbing with radical and pro-Pakistan Islamic groups in the country recurrently), Islamists are leaving no stone unturned to turn the entire country to a complete hell, as per fresh reports that are coming in. While Awami League workers are also being attacked by Jamaat and Islai Chatrashibir cadres, religious minority communities, especially Hindus, remain their first and foremost target. The statement of Makbul Ahmed, well-known leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, is worth mentioning in this context. In a press statement issued on late Thursday he stated “people would take revenge on this killing by establishing Islam in Bangladesh, which is stained with the blood of Abdul Quader Mollah” and the vengeance by now has extended from the streets of Dhaka to the agrarian fields of Rajshahi,  Chapai Nawabganj, Khulna, Noakhali, Satkhira, Jessore and others.

If the saga of Hindu persecution in Satkhira is considered, situation there is out of control and after execution of Qader Mullah or “Butcher of Mirpur”, nearly 60 residences of Hindus along with their business enterprises have been razed to the ground. Houses of Gopal Ghoshal, Tapas Acharya, Naba Kumar Mandal, Milan Biswas, Dulal Sadhu, Samir Sarkar, Madan Sadhu, Nirmal Sadhu, Ganesh Karmakar, in the village of Agardanri within the sub-district of Kalaroa, have been burnt down turning them into paupers overnight.   In the sub-district of Debhata, shop of Lablu Biswas at Gazirhat, house of Subhas Ghosh and Sarat Ghosh at Debisahar have been destructed and set to fire.   On last Thursday, at 1 am, residence of Nirmal Chandra, local Awami League leader inhabiting the village of Murarikati within the sub-district of Kalaroa, was burnt down by Muslim zealots of Islami Chatrashibir. Damodar temple was also vandalized and destructed.

It has also come to knowledge, 4 cars have been set to fire while almost 25 vehicles were torched at Panchabati of Fatulla in Narayangunj. The area is known to have a dense Hindu population. Districts of Nilphamari, Coxbazar and Khulna have also witnessed recurrent attacks on Hindus, desecration and despoliation of their religious institutions and residences respectively.  Kachari Bazaar, having a sizable Hindu population and under Laxmichap Union in the district headquarter of Nilphamari, remained witness to vandalism by cadres of Jamaat and other radical factions. Thanks to the absence of any police official, Muslim crooks raided almost each shop in the market, looted and at last, set fire to 50 shops owned by Hindus. Beltali Bazaar of the same union also bore the brunt of such barbarism – apart from destruction 15 shops owned by Hindus, residence of Shyamcharan Roy, Mukti Joddha and also leader of Awami League, was burnt down. In Sirajganj, supporters of Jamaat-Shibir vandalized a venerated and Holy Deity at a Hindu temple at Sayedabad union.

What is being written here is just tip of the iceberg or even less than it as more such disturbing news are coming from other districts as well. Even if Hindus have also started to resist Islamic attackers at various places, there is the need of more. This is the first time after 1971 when the need to form barricade in each Hindu area is being felt so strongly.