A call for unity, peace and tolerance

As Christians across the world celebrate Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ, the message of peace, humanity, and compassion as preached by all major religions could not be more urgent. In the wake of the barbaric killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a member of the Hindu community, and the hate crimes committed against religious minorities, cultural institutions, newspapers, and other establishments, there is a need for deep soul-searching. Why have these incidents taken place? How did our pluralistic, syncretic, and religiously harmonious society become so fractured by vicious intolerance of the other? No doubt it reflects the global trend of majoritarian religious intolerance. But that cannot excuse us, Bangladeshis, to sink into this abyss of hatred and mindless violence.

The government's failure to stop mob violence has created a sense of impunity among criminals, a dangerous development that can spiral out of control. It is believed that most of these incidents are aimed at creating chaos and thwarting the upcoming elections. To achieve this goal various groups are weaponising religion and prejudice to inflict maximum harm to the nation.

Since the state is responsible for the security and safety of all citizens, the government's role is the most critical. Arresting the criminals directly involved in crimes such as killing, arson, and vandalism is mandatory. But more important is the need to prevent them from taking place with the help of intelligence gathering and action against those who instigate, mobilise and enable others to carry out such hate crimes. The government must realise that its image and that of the country have taken an enormous hit as a result of these incidents. Most importantly, it has created a sense of insecurity among people, especially from religious and ethnic minorities.

To restore confidence and security, the government must take decisive steps. It must use the full force of state machinery to investigate past and present hate crimes and identify the real conspirators. There should not be any careless blame game like before. The practice of catching only the foot soldiers of a crime without apprehending the kingpins, or arresting individuals merely based on their political affiliation, must stop. The same goes for allowing identified actors to be released due to political pressure.

Here, all political parties must work together and with the government to maintain the security of all vulnerable groups. We have seen, in the days following August 5 when there was no government and lawlessness was rampant, communities rose to the occasion to protect themselves. Temples and churches were protected by students of madrasas along with others.  It is this sense of unity, camaraderie, tolerance of difference, and compassion that all major religions are based on, which must be garnered and spread across the country. Our aspirations of a truly democratic transition depend on this.