DHAKA, Oct 25, 2023 (BSS) - Recounting a largest programme against minorities sponsored by the state when BNP-Jamaat clique helmed the country, Sajeeb Wazed, ICT Affairs Advisor to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reiterated Bangladesh Awami League's staunch commitment to ensure peace and harmony for the people of every religion.

Extending greetings of Bijoya Dashami marking the adieu of Durga immersion, Sajeeb Wazed, in a Facebook post, said this year the puja has been celebrated amid festivity, a marker that Awami League upholds.

In reference to at least 28,000 incidents of attacks including rape, killing, looting and burning down of worship places and houses on minorities as documented by several rights bodies back then, he wrote under BNP Jamaat rule the life of minorities has been turned upside down.

A number of minority leaders reportedly expressed their gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for smooth celebration of Puja across the country as number of pandals has also raised this year.

Leaders of minority communities recently have blasted the attempts of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami to project "minorities are not secure" under the Awami League government "hypocritical," referring to their "reluctance to acknowledge rampant communal attacks on minorities during the last BNP-Jamaat government."

Sajeeb Wazed also called BNP Jamaat's denial of perpetuating such crimes as a "futile image building exercise" and likened the nefarious plot as Pakistan Army's plot to mislead the world on one of the worst genocides unleashed in 1971.

Reminding that with the return of AL the communal harmony has been restored, he wrote, "it is our pledge to ensure people of every religion live in harmony, a dream envisaged by Bangladesh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Also his post contained a short documentary that compiled a series of media reports and offers a flashback to a number of gruelling violence inflicted on Hindus when BNP Jamaat backed government came to power between 2001 and 2006.

 

Soon after BNP Jamaat assumed power in 2001, one of the largest pogrom against minorities had been set in motion including killing rape looting and burning down of worship places and houses, reads the video.

In reference to reported incidents on rape of around 200 Hindu women on November 16, 2001 at a remote upazila in Bhola, the video cited media reports that claimed direct involvement of BNP Jamaat cadres.

 A four year minor or a 70 year old was not spared by these cadres, the video recalled.

"Community leaders revealed atrocities like rape was employed to terrorise the minorities, forcing them to flee the country", added the video.

 A litany of media reports reveals those took part in the savagery had direct backing from BNP Jamaat leaders.

Faced with such sheer scale of atrocities, hundreds of Hindu community fled the country and while community leaders reveal "the biggest fault for minorities was to lend lending support for Awami League", the video reads.

The video also reminded another plot by BNP Jamaat men as they forced devotees to stop attending prayers at temples on March 5, 2003, at a remote union in Nilphamari.

Outraged at support of local residents for Awami League, cadres of BNP Jamaat laid a siege at a temple to ensure no one can perform religious rituals.

 Another infamous BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, a convicted war criminal also, unleashed his stooges on minorities in his constituency.

Setting fire on worship places and houses of Hindus coupled with looting valuable emerged trademark for SQ Chy's men.

In Bogura, vandalism of idols was reported while a fresh spell of horror inflicted on Hindus in different places also including Sitakundo.

 In fear of being identified, Hindu women even refrained from putting vermilion on forehead or wearing bangles, a pointer of ordeals they underwent.

 Community leaders went on hunger strike in protest of such atrocities that aimed to turn the country into a communal one.

 To cut it short, elimination of minorities with systemic state sponsored persecution became hallmark of the last rule of BNP Jamaat.

The video also laid bare a botched up drama by BNP Jamaat high ups to cover up such mind boggling violence before the globe.

On BNP Jamaat's denial of such attacks the video reads "this evokes a similar tactic orchestrated by Pakistan Army back in 1971 to whitewash their crimes against humanity, in the face of mounted criticism for perpetuating genocide on people of now defunct East Pakistan".

"Even BNP leadership took some foreigners in some state managed visits to some temples and claimed reports of attacks on minorities are fake but to no avail."