Let’s take a moment to examine what is happening in Bangladesh from the safety of the West, as the political instability plaguing the country concerns the global community. Naomi Klein in her book the Shock Doctrine states that in a war, the parties with the greatest interests never appear on the battlefield. Should we, in this case, look at the bigger picture and grasp the involvement of the West both as responsible and as benefiting from the transitional situation in Bangladesh? The silence of the Western media regarding human rights violations in Bangladesh is inexplicable, especially in rural areas where women are being raped, temples are being destroyed, and populations are being forcibly displaced, is concerning. Hindus, since Sheikh Hasina left power, suffer incredible abuse daily and the international community remains silent.
It is true that a negative perception of Bangladesh has been created by the West, and a very significant role in this has been played by Sheikh Hasina’s policy towards the island of Saint Martin. The former prime minister has previously claimed that a foreign country, possibly the USA, might be interested in establishing a military base on the island of Saint Martin, an island of great geopolitical significance due to its location in the Bay of Bengal. So one possible factor to the indifference of the West towards Bangladesh could be this but it is not enough.
Before we look at what exactly is happening with the Hindus and why the international community is silent, we must pause for a moment to consider the reasons why Sheikh Hasina left power. Islamist groups, particularly Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam, have played a decisive role in this, exploiting the widespread dissatisfaction of the people with fundamental state issues, bringing violence and turmoil with incidents and clashes in the summer of 2024.These are two extremist Islamist groups with extreme demands such as the implementation of Sharia law whenever they deem it necessary.Especially Jamaat-e-Islami is a paramilitary faction banned due to the role it played in 1971 during the Bangladesh Liberation War.
These are extremist Muslim terrorists who pressured Sheikh Hasina by targeting Hindus in rural areas.Members of Jamaat-e-Islami committed temple destructions, rapes of women, and violence against populations, resulting in their uprooting.They have even collaborated with the Pakistani army to achieve this. Chattogram saw the highest number of attacks with 16 recorded attacks. Hulna, Jessore, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat, and Magura are among the areas that saw a large number of attacks against Hindus. Reports indicate that there have been more than 200 attacks on approximately 50 residences since the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, according to the Bangladesh Council of Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians. “There is deep concern, anxiety, and uncertainty among minorities across the country,” the council said in an open letter.
At this moment, however, a new day of hope seems to dawn for the long-suffering Bangladesh, where the Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who specializes in microeconomics and poverty alleviation. Yunus, after these bloody incidents, was appointed head of the transitional government of Bangladesh by President Mohammad Shahabuddin on August 7, 2024, forming a transitional government.The transitional government has received the support of significant institutions in Bangladesh, including the undisputed backing of the Chief of Army Staff, General Waker-uz-Zaman. Now the transitional government led by Yunus has been formed with the mandate to stabilize the nation and prepare for elections. The interim administration has proposed reforms in six key areas, including the judiciary, the electoral system, and public administration.
However, the government’s extensive reform agenda and particularly its efforts to amend the Constitution, has drawn criticism for overstepping its primary role as a caretaker authority, making permanent and irreversible changes to the fundamental structures and policies of Bangladesh.
Chief Advisor Mohammed Yunus justifies the caretaker government by stating that officials and the public desire are an expanded scope of work for the new government and have full consensus that the constitution should either be amended or a new constitution should be created. However, it should be noted that the initial and subsequent demands of the people, which sought political outcomes such as the resignation of the former president, did not require actions beyond the constitutional framework, including the amendment of the constitution or questioning its basis.
Muhammad Yunus’s task is incredibly difficult as he tries to bring balance to a country that is constantly being battered as a pawn by opposing forces. The new transitional government in Dhaka, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has promised to protect minorities and provide compensation to victims, but fear and uncertainty remain high in the Hindu community. Deeply outraged by the situation, Sumon Kumar Roy, a Hindu political leader, said: “Bangladesh is crying, Bangladesh is burning, we can’t take it anymore.” Mr. Roy said that his community is not safe under any government at the moment. “One party thinks we support the Awami League, so it is [legitimate] to torture us, occupy our lands, and loot us.”
Moreover, Jamaat-e-Islami still lurks as a threat, and the new prime minister faces pressures from many different sides. The only certainty is that the task of the new transitional government would be easier if there were some help from the West and not silence.
The silence of the international community regarding the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh can be attributed to several factors. Is the West prioritizing its strategic and economic interests, overshadowing human rights issues?
The escalating violence has instilled widespread fear in the Hindu community, both in Bangladesh and in the diaspora in the United States. The Confederation of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) has reported a terrifying scale of attacks, including sexual violence against Hindu women, further exacerbating the community’s distress.
CoHNA has criticized the lack of media coverage regarding the targeted nature of this violence, arguing that the situation of the Hindu minority is overshadowed by broader geopolitical tensions. CoHNA fears another catastrophic loss of life if immediate measures are not taken. They have highlighted the ongoing persecution, noting the historical and current threats faced by the Hindu minority, which constitutes less than eight percent of Bangladesh’s population.
They have called on U.S. lawmakers, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, to closely monitor the situation and pressure Bangladeshi authorities to protect Hindu citizens.And yet, the US itself has not pressured for accountability for the instigators of violence against Hindus.
In conclusion, while it is a human need to believe with optimism in the work of Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh is a boiling cauldron. The extremist Muslim organizations that attack Hindus are the most dangerous part in Bangladesh, and if they are not truly contained, the events of the summer will unfortunately be repeated. The West must help in containing them. It is clear that these religious terrorists use religious fanaticism and the violence serving the interests of people who until now remain hidden in the shadows.However, it is time for the West to intervene in what is happening in Bangladesh, which otherwise particularly interests it economically due to its geopolitical position.
