We have no shame but what about government’s responsibility?

The attack on 15 Hindu temples and homes by an enraged crowd of bigots in Brahmanbarhia is a good example of the fiction that we believe in, which is that we are winning the war against terrorism. What we mostly bother about is saving foreigners and Gulshan residents, but when it comes to saving ordinary citizens, we suddenly freeze and fail. We are very happy to release press materials on how many Jongis we have killed but are not interested in declaring how many minority lives, their property and security have been made safe. This is because we have failed to do so. Since it's a country or people largely without shame, many won't feel bad. But it may also show that protecting Dhaka's elite district is one matter and protecting Bangladesh is another. And there is no evidence to show that our law enforcement agencies have the capacity to protect the country and the people in an adequate manner. And that is a matter of shame for everyone, including the party in power coming as it does right after the triumphant Council.

The government ignored in a callous and cruel manner when the selective killings were on by the terrorists. They ignored the selective butchering and mayhem and even protected the killers by their passivity. They acted only when the Holey Artisan café was attacked. Thus it seems its only when the upper class and the foreigners – the privileged – are affected that concerns arise, enough to act.

Thus within a few months a large number of the Jongis were killed, many arrested and the rest put on the run. It's even claimed that the mastermind has been killed and other biggies are apprehended, so it's a hugely successful campaign. These are what may be called the IS type terrorists and they scare our upper class and the Westerners the most. So we decided to act and did so decisively. The interest of the wealthy, expatriates beneficial to the wealthy and the majority population will always trigger action.

But when we come across minorities and the social terrorists, the types we see at Brahmanbarhia, we suddenly are unable to stop them, let alone prevent such action. It's scary how the state chooses whom to save and whom to allow to suffer.

Brahmanbarhia is a place where many violent extremists have attacked Hindus before and many temples and homes were attacked several times earlier. It's absurd even to discuss that the incendiary environment is unknown to the police and RAB, not to mention the civil administration. However, it was allowed to slip through due to negligence and we will not know if it was deliberate or not.

What we do know is that when fifteen temples are damaged, sacred objects of worship are trampled and vandalized, people and homes are attacked, it becomes an extreme situation. And we have allowed an extreme situation to happen though we had the power to stop it. It's not a matter of shame or helplessness which are human emotions only and that have no power to exert. It's a matter of incompetence of the law enforcement agencies in general and the administration in particular that is a cause of concern. It was their responsibility to make sure it never happened.

The party in power has been celebrating its Council in great pomp and we have a new leadership as well. It's the most successful time for the party but the Brahmanbarhia incident points to the gaps in the success. The violence is not an isolated phenomenon and it's the selectivity of the success that also needs exploring. It does seem that what is claimed as national success is also guilty of not being as successful for all in all the sectors and people. Thus the vulnerable groups, the left outs of society, which include the Hindu community have been ignored. It's strange that such people can dare to raise their heads and attack minorities when the party claims to be upholding the spirit of the liberation war. In 1971, Hindus suffered the most but it was then the Pakistan army which was in power. Today, every act against a minority let alone the community will be a reminder to my generation in particular that things are far from what it should be for them.

For a government that is so powered by the bureaucracy and the distance between the political and the administrative is the least since 1971, it's a surprise that the message was never sent to the managers of the state that vulnerable people need special protection. A simple bigot watch would have been enough to diagnose the level of vulnerability and act to prevent escalation. But it wasn't done, which is why it's impossible for the administration and its political leadership to deny responsibility. Everyone has a right to protection as per the constitution. And so when such things happen, it's the constitution that is violated. Those in power, whether politically or administratively must be held accountable for what happened in Brahmanbarhia.

The matter was apparently triggered by an offensive FB post. It's entirely possible. FB has become a great instigator today and the GOB has passed a severe and strict ICT law as well to control the situation. So it naturally follows that there should be a monitoring agency to look after the transgressions. The system seems to work when it relates to political issues but when it is about such inter and intra communal violence issues it doesn't seem to function so well. It's worth questioning why this happens again and again.

Every time such acts happen, Bangladesh is diminished and 1971 history means less and less. The GOB is so concerned about protecting the history of 1971 but doesn't seem to realize that it's these acts that are the greatest insults and humiliation to the spirit of 1971. By protecting the vulnerable, the helpless and the weak, we pay homage to our liberation. When we fail, we fail the history and spirit of 1971. Sadly, it's becoming a regular affair.

Though such statements have no value, we are saying it: We demand, it must never happen again.