Unite against hate

People from all across the country marched out into the streets yesterday to raise their voice against the communal attacks on Hindu temples, idols and properties during Durga Puja celebrations.

Politicians, teachers, artists, writers and student activists at different programmes called for the arrest and punishment for those responsible for the attacks.

Ruling Awami League leaders at a peace rally yesterday warned that strong actions will be taken against religious bigots, adding that communal forces are carrying out attacks on the Hindu community, which could "trigger problems for Muslims in India".

Several protest events were organised following the recent spate of violence in several districts, after word spread that "the Holy Quran was demeaned" in Cumilla.

Zealots ran amok, vandalising Hindu idols, temples and shops in Chandpur, Chattogram, Munshiganj, Noakhali, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Kishoreganj, Kurigram, Rangpur and other districts.

As part of a countrywide programme, AL staged a rally titled "Sampriti Samabesh (rally for harmony)" and brought out a peace procession in the capital.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, while addressing a rally in front of AL's Bangabandhu Avenue central office, urged leaders and workers of the party and associate bodies, as well as conscious citizens, to form a united resistance towards communalism.

"Today communal forces are attacking the Hindu community of our country. It can cause problems for our Muslim brothers in India. We will have to form a united resistance towards communal elements," said Quader, also general secretary of AL.

The minister said AL will stay in the streets until "the venomous teeth of communal forces are broken".

Along with others, AL presidium members Abdur Razzak, Matia Chowdhury, Jahangir Kabir Nanak and Abdur Rahman, and joint general secretaries Mahbubul-Alam Hanif and AFM Bahauddin Nasim were present at the programme.

Meanwhile, Dhaka University Teachers' Association (DUTA) formed a human chain in front of Aparajeyo Bangla at DU area in the morning.

DU Vice-Chancellor Prof M Akhtaruzzaman said the rise of communal forces in various parts of the country is disgraceful and cannot be tolerated. "We demand the government immediately identify the perpetrators."

Former vice-chancellor of Jagannath University Prof Mijanur Rahman said, "When these incidents occur, thousands of people get charged, but later, offenders get away with it. We demand that those responsible for these incidents receive exemplary punishment."

DUTA President Prof Rahmat Ullah, General Secretary Nizamul Hoque Bhuiyan, and former VC of Noakhali University of Science and Technology Prof Wahiduzzaman were present among others.

Chittagong University Teachers Association (CUTA) and Jagannath University Teachers Association organised separate human chains on their campuses, condemning the attacks.

In the afternoon, under the banner "Poet-writer-artist-journalist against communal violence", hundreds of different professionals formed a human chain in front of the National Museum at the capital's Shahbagh.

They placed an eight-point demand, including arresting the attackers, taking prompt action against perpetrators of previous attacks, and stopping communal and gender insensitive speeches in the name of waz mahfil.

Writer Swakrito Noman placed the demands at the human chain, while artist Sangeeta Imam, writer Ahmed Mostafa Kamal, actress Moutishi Biswas, researcher Chanchal Ashraf, and journalist Julhas Nur were present among others.

A group of left-leaning activists held an "anti-communal harmony march" from Paltan to Dhakeshwari Mandir.

After reaching Dhakeshwari Mandir, they held a rally there. Bangladesh Chhatra Union Central Committee President Foez Ullah announced that they would surround the home ministry on Sunday, demanding resignation of Asaduzzaman Khan.

"Everybody is saying the Durga idol is being vandalised, but in reality, Bangladesh is being broken into pieces. There was no resistance towards the attacks, rather people who went to resist faced obstacles. This means the government is supporting the attacks," former Chhatra Union president and peasants' leader Manabendra Deb said.

Left-leaning Pragatashil Chhatra Jote brought out a procession at noon on DU campus, and a group of lawyers under the banner "Lawyers' Sampriti" formed a human chain in front of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judges' Court.

In Brahmanbaria, Sommilito Sangskritik Jote held a protest programme in the town, and demanded resignation of the home minister for his "failure to resist attacks on minorities".

Besides, protest processions were organised in Dinajpur, Noakhali, Savar, Manikganj and Feni.

Meanwhile in Munshiganj, police on Monday evening arrested a Hindu youth, Joy Mandol, on charge of making derogatory comments centring religion on Facebook.

TIB STATEMENT

Transparency International Bangladesh in a statement slammed the failure of law enforcers in fending off attackers at various parts of the country.

"We saw that hundreds of cases were filed across the country, accusing thousands... but the real perpetrators are not being identified, and officials are not rising above the clichéd political blame games. The real perpetrators remain behind the scene, while communal violence continues. We saw no action against attackers, though more than one and a half thousand homes and mandaps belonging to the Hindu community got vandalised and were set ablaze," the statement reads.

TIB also criticised the reported blackout of the internet and barring of mainstream media from covering the arson and vandalism.

[Our correspondents from respective districts contributed to the report.]