Setting an example

Every modern society and state has the duty to protect minorities, and ensure equal rights for them. If anywhere, minorities feel insecure, and are tortured or persecuted by the majority community or any group of the majority community, it is a shortcoming of that society and a failure of the state.

Every modern state has the duty to provide equal rights to each citizen, but it should give extra attention to the minority community.

In the ancient world, there has been rampant persecution of races, castes, and ethnic groups. The modern world has not come out of this chronic harm, but rather is carrying on in a different manner. Sometimes we are carrying it out in the name of politics, in the name of religion, and in the name of race. Most of the time, it is committed by some opportunist group.

The 1946 communal conflict started in the name of religion. History says the British provoked it. Who provoked it is not the main concern. India, along with Bengal, had to pay too much of a price. We cut up our land geographically, killed our own brothers, and raped our own sisters.

Anyway, the present situation is different. The communal conflicts are now a part of history. Persecution, torture, preplanned killings, and looting are the present condition.

After starting the war crimes trial in Bangladesh, the Jamaat-e-Islami, backed by the BNP, has started attacking the minorities. They have killed minority people, and torched and looted their homes. They have broken temples and religious idols.

It turned severe after the verdict of Sayedee, one of the main war criminals. It was havoc for the country. They attacked government property and the Awami League people, but their attack on the minorities was a planned game. From the beginning of the war crimes trials, Jamaat, along with the BNP, were attacking minorities with a specific goal.

By attacking them, they wanted a reaction out of India. If any communal party or group acted in the same way, they would be able to create a communal sentiment in Bangladesh. They tried repeatedly. In spite of their efforts, they failed.

They wanted to ruin the election, but they failed in that endeavour. That failure made them so aggravated that they played that card again. They hoped that this time, any Indian communal party or group would react.

Now Sheikh Hasina is in power again, so she will try her best to give security to the minority people. The minority people of Bangladesh also believe that Sheikh Hasina can give them more protection, because she is not only the head of the government which claims to be secular, she is also the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

So now, the ball is in the court of the prime minister. She has to ensure the security of the minority people, and she has to make sure that the minorities are safe in Bangladesh forever. We Bengalis and Bangladeshis have a certain pride. We were once a part of British India, but we declared our independence based on secularism.

We are the first nation of this subcontinent to include secularism in our constitution. India has followed later. So, we are ahead in this particular region. That is why we have to work towards stopping this minority persecution for all times.

This opportunity, or holy duty for humanity, now rests on the shoulders of our prime minister. The killing of a minority is not a normal killing. Arson, looting, and the rape of a minority person cannot be considered regular crimes. These are crimes against humanity.

The PM has absolute majority in the parliament. She can easily make a law for the quick and correct punishment for criminals who attack, kill, rape and commit arson on minorities. This law will have to be tough. A suggestion:  Please give at least one capital punishment to one criminal guilty of these attacks.

This will set an example and will help to deter these crimes, and will also serve as a guideline for this subcontinent to end this minority persecution.