Bangladesh in the Same Game - A Comparison with Arakan Violence

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a longtime admirer of Burmese murderous regime and their political strategy of how to sustain the power and remain in power, unsurprisingly deployed a political strategy recently same to her Burmese counterparts’ (i.e. scapegoating the minorities). Before going further, it is very important to mention that she has always been hostile to one of the world’s most persecuted people, Rohingyas. And she is infamous for blocking the border for the escaping Rohingya victims and pushing them back to the sea.

A pre-planned and organized attack was carried out against Buddhist minority in Ramu, Cox’s Bazaar district, Bangladesh on Saturday night. The attack set ablaze or destroyed more than a dozen temples and monasteries and at least 50 homes. Besides, property was looted, including statues of the Buddha. According to Bangladesh media, the attack was in apparent retaliation for a picture of a burned Quran holy text tagged on the Facebook account of a Bangladeshi Buddhist called Uttam Barua by a Facebook ID “Insult Allah.” 

Unsurprisingly, Home Minister Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir told reporters in Dhaka that "Rohingyas and political opponents of the government were also involved in the attacks." But how far is it true and believable? When you go inside and think deeply of Bangladesh political patterns, you will not be surprised but rather shocked. The whole attack was engineered by special Indian Intelligence Unit of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in coordination with Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) under an operation named “Operation Tango.” 

Sheikh Hasina had known the whole game plot in advance to the violence. She had been briefed by the intelligence that the violence would help her to get the sympathy of Bangladesh minorities and hence they would become her vote bank in the election next year. She was also briefed that she could not take advantage over Rohingya issue politically because BNP is also of the same stand with her party over the issue. Therefore, it is the most proper time to carry out the attacks in the name of retaliation to the defaming Quran on Facebook as her opposition parties are protesting over anti-Islam movie and hence differing stands from her party. 

The attacks will not stop here. There will be many more attacks against the minorities coming and organized media to run a continuous news propaganda naming the violence as an effort to Islamize the hill area and the opposition parties specifically BNP is behind the communal attack.[1] Ridiculously, Sheikh Hasina who is attending UN General Assembly in US ordered the government to tighten the security and to protect the minority. She seems to be a perfect student of Burmese tyrannical and cunning regime. 

Many more similarities can be found besides these. But the differences are the political context and the level of freedom between Burma and Bangladesh. While in Burma, the main opposition has no power and stands over the violence in the violence against Rohingyas especially its leader DASSK, in Bangladesh, the main opposition party BNP has its own great political power and can speak up. While in Burma, Arakan is locked region where International national media and independent observers can’t get free access to, it is quite opposite in Bangladesh as it is a democratic country. 

Unfortunately, Rohingyas, a voiceless and defenseless people, has become a football who is getting kicked from net to net in the political match of Bangladesh and Burma. They are again unfairly and without any evidence dragged into the affairs of the violence by the Bangladesh government. It is known to the world that Bangladesh has pushed back the escaping Rohingya victims of Arakan violence. Those who managed to sneak into Bangladesh have no legal status to move around. In such situation, one should wonder how they would dare attack those minority people who have legal status in Bangladesh, which might exaggerate the violence against them in Arakan. Bangladesh government should stop playing insane and rather play good human beings. 

While the ruling governments in both Burma and Bangladesh playing filthy political games, minorities in the countries are paying high cost. Therefore, any kind of victimization or scapegoating of and violence against minorities whether politically or economically, no matter who or where they are, must be condemned and be brought to the end. 

M.S. Anwar is an activist studying Bachelor of Arts in Business Studies at Westminster International College, Malaysia.