Politically linked individuals behind communal violence?
So far, hundreds have been arrested and around 85 cases have been lodged against thousands in relation to the communal attacks that took place in 16 districts across Bangladesh, since the Cumilla mayhem during Durga Puja on October 13. As police continue their investigations into this latest spate of communal attacks, we are deeply concerned to find that links between the recent violence and individuals with political backgrounds and/or connections are beginning to surface.
According to a report in this daily, Iqbal Hossain, the man suspected of instigating the violence in Cumilla by putting a copy of the Quran at a puja mandap, named an aide to Cumilla Mayor Moinuddin Ahmed Babu as one of the people who incited the crowd to carry out the attacks. On Saturday, Rab disclosed that a local Chhatra League leader and his accomplices instigated the mob to burn down homes and shops of the Hindu community in Rangpur's Pirganj upazila on October 17. Media reports also suggest that leaders and activists from different political groups have been arrested in Chandpur, Chattogram, Feni, and Noakhali, including a former UP chairman, although a majority of them are from BNP-Jamaat backgrounds.
While we commend the actions that have been taken so far to bring the perpetrators to book, we cannot help but point out the gravity of the situation, where members of political parties are suspected to be stoking the fires of sectarian violence. Affiliations of these alleged perpetrators with the ruling party are all the more concerning, since it is the mandate of the party in power to protect minority communities and ensure their security and ability to live in peace.
We hope that the government will make every effort to ensure that justice is served, but that is not enough—the authorities must take serious and concerted measures to ensure that communal and anti-liberal ideas are not allowed to take root in party politics. In this regard, every political party in the country has to make a commitment. The damage to communal harmony that has been caused by the recent attacks is an issue of national security that cannot be taken lightly, and anyone who is part of this sinister plan must be dealt with accordingly, regardless of their political affiliations.
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