Opinion Express view on arson and violence in Bangladesh: Dhaka must act

Six months after Sheikh Hasina’s ouster from power in Bangladesh and arrival in India following student-led protests, protesters reportedly demolished the homes of Awami League leaders and defaced murals of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 20-odd districts on February 5. The unrest began with a call for a “bulldozer procession” towards Mujib’s residence, a symbol of the 1971 liberation, at Dhaka’s 32 Dhanmondi Road. At least 50 murals of Mujib and his family were destroyed, and eight Awami League offices set on fire. As Bangladesh’s founding leader and first president, Mujib remains a revered figure for many. If peace and reconciliation are the Muhammad Yunus-led government’s objectives, the destruction of Mujib’s home risks alienating segments of the population who might otherwise be sympathetic towards the current dispensation. The interim government’s equivocation on the violence — it has all but blamed Sheikh Hasina for it — is disturbing. A change of regime cannot erase a country’s history, or the figures that stand tall.

Sheikh Hasina has condemned the February 5 violence, saying that “history cannot be wiped out”. New Delhi, too, has reacted strongly, with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) calling the incident “regrettable”. Diplomatic tensions have escalated as Bangladesh summoned India’s acting High Commissioner to formally protest Hasina’s “fabricated and provocative” remarks. Dhaka’s reaction is unwarranted. India and Bangladesh should aim to insulate the bilateral relationship from the ups and downs of short-term politics, not make it part of partisan agendas. Economic, strategic and cultural ties between the two countries need to be deepened for the benefit of people on both sides of the border. The interim government in Dhaka must also remember that the country’s liberation in 1971 is deeply tied to both Mujib and India. After Mujib’s assassination in a military coup, the only survivors — Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana — found refuge in India.

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The political milieu in post-Hasina Bangladesh is yet to firm up. Free and fair elections in the near future are imperative. Mahfuz Alam, a key advisor to Yunus, recently said that the Awami League would not be allowed to contest elections. Such statements do not bode well. Will the interim government enable rogue elements to sow chaos under the guise of “dismantling symbols of fascism” — is the question. Two days after the attacks, Yunus urged calm and spoke of the need to prevent further attacks on properties linked to Hasina’s family and Awami League leaders. His words must be accompanied by concrete action on the ground. The rule of law must be upheld. Yunus’s stature as a Nobel Laureate and development pioneer allows him to rise above the political heat and work for the long-term interests of his country.