Irreligious secular rulers are responsible for whatever deprivation, discrimination and oppression religious minorities have suffered in Bangladesh

The Weekly Blitz 11 July 2007
BD Journalist Criticizes Secular Rulers
Blitz Desk

Sanjeeb Chowdhury, Chairman, Bangladesh Human Rights Forum issued the following statement recently:

Majority population of Bangladesh irrespective of religious identity are poor, oppressed and discriminated by mainstream rulers and elite irrespective of their political party affiliation.

Due to lack of efficiency, sincerity, patriotism and vision of the rulers, condition of large majority of population in Bangladesh have not improved despite some increase in average per capita income. Naturally its evil effects and deprivation have been a little bit intensive on the religious minorities. It would be a distortion of the real picture if someone projects that members of the religious majority community of Bangladesh are generally well-off and oppressor while members of the religious minority communities are poorer and oppressed.

Since the independence of Bangladesh in 1971 the leaders and administrators including those who politically lead the country and the parliament and the civil and military bureaucracy have been generally secular elite, educated in western type colleges and universities. In fact since the partition of the Indian Sub-continent in 1947 till today national secularists have been ruling this territory. These secularists, who are generally irreligious, did not miss any opportunity to misuse religion for political or other gains. Irreligious secular rulers are responsible for whatever deprivation, discrimination and oppression religious minorities have suffered in Bangladesh from the beginning till today. Madrasha educated Religious Islamic clergies have never ruled or administered Bangladesh. They have not done any wrong to we the religious minorities in Bangladesh.

Those who try to blame Islam or its followers for the deprivation of the non-Muslim religious minorities in Bangladesh, often do it dishonestly to save the real criminals who are none but secular rulers. It is true that there are several Islamist parties in Bangladesh. But none of those parties is powerful enough to acquire and exercise state power in Bangladesh. The mainstream secular leadership, administration and media as a part of their strategy sometime project these Islamist parties as marginalized and insignificant, sometime projects as dangerously powerful. I do not know any incident where Islamic Clergies or their political parties organized any communal riot or oppression against the minority Hindus of Bangladesh. Rather Bangladesh Khelafat Andolon a prominent political party of the Islamic Clergies of Bangladesh have been working with the agenda to remove inter-community mistrust and bridge Believer Muslims with Believers of other communities for harmonious coordination and justice.

Chowdhury is also a member of the Standing Committee of Bangladesh Hindu League, Senior Vice President of Bangladesh Inter-religious Council for Peace and Justice (BICPAJ) and former Vice President of Dhaka Union of Journalists.
Posted on 11 Jul 2007 by Root