Basic HTML Version

|  | Table of Contents |  | View Full Version

Page 8 - The Indian EYE 012326
P. 8

    EYE ON INDIA                                                         JANUARY 23, 2026      |  The Indian Eye                    8

                                      Bangladesh on the Brink:

            Communal Unrest, Fragile Law and Order

                                 Cloud Crucial February Polls

                As Bangladesh heads toward a decisive election next month, rising communal tensions, attacks on

             minorities and fears over law and order are deepening a national crisis under the interim government.

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            lar support—estimated by some at
                                                                                                                  around 30 per cent in opinion polls—
            Dhaka / New Delhi
                                                                                                                  has been barred from contesting the
                  angladesh is facing one of its                                                                  upcoming elections, a move that crit-
                  most volatile moments in re-                                                                    ics argue undermines inclusivity. At
            Bcent years, with communal anx-                                                                       the same time, Islamist groups are re-
            ieties, political uncertainty and ques-                                                               ported to be pushing for a referendum
            tions over the credibility of upcoming                                                                to fundamentally alter Bangladesh’s
            elections converging into a deepening                                                                 constitution, further heightening fears
            national crisis. Incidents of violence                                                                among secularists and minorities.
            against minorities, concerns voiced by                                                                    International concern has been
            civil society and growing international                                                               mounting. In the United Kingdom,
            scrutiny have placed the interim ad-                                                                  Conservative MP  Bob Blackman
            ministration  under  intense  pressure                                                                raised  the situation  in Bangladesh
            just weeks before the country goes to                                                                 during a parliamentary debate, citing
            the polls on February 12.                                                                             reports of Hindu men being mur-
                The latest flashpoint came from                                                                   dered, homes and temples burned,
            eastern Bangladesh’s Sylhet district,                                                                 and minorities facing systematic per-
            where a fire broke out at the home of                                                                 secution.  He questioned  how elec-
            Bikash Ranjan Deb, a Hindu school-                                                                    tions could be described as free and
            teacher in Gowainghat, on  Janu-                                                                      fair when a major political party is
            ary  16.  While  local police  and  the                                                               excluded and extremist forces appear
            homeowner himself said the blaze                                                                      emboldened.
            was caused by an electrical short cir-                                                                    Other UK lawmakers echoed
            cuit, the incident occurred against        The High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, Pranay Kumar Verma,    these concerns while reaffirming sup-
            the backdrop of a broader wave of   meets the Acting Chairman of BNP and son of former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Begum   port for peaceful, credible elections
            communal violence that has unset-                  Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman, in Dhaka (ANI)        and the protection of human rights.
            tled minority communities across the                                                                  British officials have said they are en-
            country. Deb told authorities that be-                                                                gaging with the interim government
            longings worth nearly five million tak-  desh must be dealt with “swiftly and   noting that citizens are yearning for an   and  have  welcomed  its stated  com-
            as were destroyed, though he stressed   firmly.”  His  remarks  reflect  growing   “unflawed, credible election that is ac-  mitments to minority safety, while
            that he held no one responsible and   unease in the region over the poten-  cepted by everyone.” At the same time,   condemning all forms of religious or
            noted  that  Hindus  and  Muslims  in   tial spillover effects of instability in   she warned that law and order con-  ethnic violence.
            the area had long lived peacefully.  Bangladesh.                    cerns are weighing heavily on voters   For the Yunus-led interim ad-
                Despite these assurances, such    At home, the security situation has   and observers alike. “We are not even   ministration, the challenge is formi-
            incidents have acquired heightened   become a central issue as the country   one month away from the election,   dable: restoring public confidence in
            political and social significance in the   prepares for its first general election   and people are wondering whether   law  enforcement,  ensuring  minority
            current  climate.  Reports  of attacks   since the dramatic July 2024 uprising   the law-and-order situation will allow a   protection, and delivering an election
            on Hindu homes, temples and busi-  that ended Sheikh Hasina’s long rule   fair election to take place,” she added.  that is both inclusive and credible, all
            nesses in several parts of Bangladesh   and brought down the Awami League   Khan  also  cautioned  that  there   within a compressed timeframe. Each
            have triggered alarm domestically and   government. Following her ouster   are elements opposed to a transpar-  new incident—whether politically
            abroad, feeding fears that minorities   and departure from the country, an   ent electoral process, though their   motivated or accidental—risks further
            are increasingly vulnerable amid po-  interim administration headed by No-  identities and motives remain unclear.   inflaming tensions in an already polar-
            litical instability.              bel laureate Muhammad Yunus was   Failure to hold an acceptable election,   ized society.
                India has publicly expressed con-  formed, with a mandate to stabilize the   she warned, could have severe conse-  As Bangladesh approaches Feb-
            cern over what it described as a “dis-  nation and oversee credible elections.  quences for the country’s democratic   ruary 12, the stakes could hardly be
            turbing pattern” of recurring attacks   Election expert Munira Khan,   future. “This is the last chance to have   higher. The coming weeks will test not
            on minorities. Ministry of External   who has worked for decades on elec-  a good and fair election. If we don’t, we   only the capacity of the interim gov-
            Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal   toral reforms in Bangladesh, says the   all will be very disappointed,” she said.  ernment to maintain order, but also
            said New Delhi continues to close-  public mood is a mix of hope and anxi-  The political landscape remains   the resilience of the country’s demo-
            ly monitor the situation and stressed   ety. “This time, I feel there is a different   deeply fractured. The Awami League,   cratic institutions at a moment many
            that communal incidents in Bangla-  atmosphere in Bangladesh,” she said,   despite  retaining  significant  popu-  see as pivotal for its future.

                                                                   www.TheIndianEYE.com

| 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 |