Even as Hindus are being subjected to various atrocities in Bangladesh, a section of people have been desperately trying to downplay the anti-Hindu pogroms and even pass them off as politically motivated violence. In this vein, Meenakshi Ganguly, the Deputy Asia Director of Human Rights Watch resorted to whitewashing the crimes against Hindus being committed by Islamists saying that it is due to political reasons and not hatred against Hindus.
Taking to X on 7th August, Meenakshi Ganguly wrote, “In #Bangladesh, musician Rahul Ananda’s house burned in an ugly spree of attacks on Hindu minorities because they traditionally supported Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party. Authorities should ensure rule of law, identify & prosecute perpetrators.”
As reported earlier, on the afternoon of 5th August, an Islamist mob reached the house of the singer and frontman of the band Joler Gaan, Rahul Ananda. He was living in a rental house that was attacked. When the attack happened, Rahul, his wife Shukla, his son Tota and other family members were there. Somehow, they managed to escape and took shelter at an unknown location. The house, where Rahul lived, was a 140-year-old place which has now been burnt to ashes with all the memories and history it contained.
Notably, back in 2019, Meenakshi Ganguly had claimed that Kashmiri Pandits were ‘asked’ to leave the valley, presumably by the Indian State, in 1990.
It is pertinent to note that Ganguly is not alone in peddling the sinister narrative that Hindus, their temples and properties are not being attacked by Islamists due to their hatred for Hindus but as revenge for their perpetual support for Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League. As reported earlier in the day, the New York Timeschanged the headline of one of its published news reportsafter facing severe backlash from readers. Earlier, the headline read “Hindus in Bangladesh Face Revenge Attacks After Prime Minister’s Exit” which attracted heavy criticism on social media. Though the title has been changed, the content remained the same, pushing the narrative that Hindus were being targeted as they supported Hasina’s political party and not because of communal reasons.
While killing Hindus, and vandalising their houses and temples is not justified even if they supported Sheikh Hasina’s political party, let’s for argument’s sake assume it is indeed the case, would Meenakshi Ganguly, Human Rights Watch, NYT and other Islamist cheerleaders mind explaining how checking a deceased victim’s private part determines one’s political affiliation? In one such incident Islamists encircled a dead victim lying on the ground while several men were gathered around the deceased. With the aid of a stick, one of the Islamists strips the deceased person naked and checks the victim’s private part for circumcision. The happiness of the Islamist had no bounds and he started shouting ‘Hindu, Hindu’ over the corpse, the crowd hovering over the dead body laughed, realising that the man was a Hindu because he was not circumcised.
It is opprobrious that so-called human rights defenders are giving the communally motivated anti-Hindu violence a political colour to make sure nobody criticises or questions their Islamist overlords
Attack on Hindus in Bangladesh
On 5th August, it came to light that Islamists attacked Hindus’ houses, shops and temples in Bangladesh in the guise of protests against the Sheikh Hasina government. Despite the resignation by Hasina from the Prime Minister’s post, the protests continued and so did the attacks on Hindus. Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar has also expressed concerns over attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.
“I can’t sleep at night worrying about my family’s safety,” said 26-year-old former Dhaka University student Nilay Kumar Biswas as the anti-quota stir which engulfed entire Bangladesh since June gradually transmogrified in a movement which targeted Hindu minorities in the country in a series of violent attacks. Unfortunately, Biswas is not the only victim of the unbridled religious hatred directed at Hindu community. Students from the Hindu community, whose population has come down to 8% of the Bangladeshi population from 24%, also participated in the demonstration against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina government.
Notably, the members of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by ex-Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, and the outlawed Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami also joined forces under the guise of student protests which resulted in the forced resignation of Sheikh Hasina. Ever since, radical Islamists have been relentlessly hunting Hindus, destroying their temples, setting their homes ablaze and violating their women, all in the name of a democratic revolution. The incidents have only intensified since 5th August with alarming reports of multiple attacks on Hindus emerging on social media and news outlets.
Hindu students who enthusiastically became a part of the student agitation in Bangladesh are now facing the brunt of the Islamists seeking the blood of the minorities on the streets. The ugly reality has come as a jolt to the Hindu students who are equally alarmed and perplexed by the senseless rioting directed at them.
Sheikh Hasina’s resignation as prime minister of Bangladesh has left Nilay Kumar Biswas without a full night’s sleep. He stated that he felt reasonably safe in Dhaka, but at night he can’t sleep because of distress calls from friends and family who live outside Bangladesh’s capital. He added that in the days leading up to the establishment of an interim government, Bangladeshi people, particularly Hindus, need to look out for one another. “Most police stations remain unmanned. As murderous mobs go on a rampage, the ordinary Bangladeshi watches helplessly. The minority Hindu community feels especially helpless at such times because we are easy targets.” he expressed while talking to The Print.
According to Biswas, who received his master’s degree in social science from Dhaka University’s Department of Mass Communication and Journalism last year, a large number of Hindu students took part in the quota reform demonstrations that led to Sheikh Hasina’s exit. “It was not just Muslims, but many Hindu students wanted the quota system in government jobs to be reformed. They walked with their fellow Muslim students, sang songs of hope, gave slogans against fascism and faced the police’s lathi and bullet. Hindu students have spilled blood for a cause that united an entire nation. Today, as anarchy descends on Bangladesh, Hindu temples are being attacked, our houses are being looted, set on fire, our lives are in danger,” he mentioned as he came to terms with the brutality of their perilous circumstances.
Hindu students bled while agitating against the quota system: Biswas
The nation came to a standstill due to government job reservations, which infuriated thousands of students from Bangladesh’s public and private universities as well as other educational establishments. They objected to the government providing a thirty per cent quota for children and grandchildren of freedom fighters in the 1971 Liberation War which saw the formation of Bangladesh.
56% of entry positions in government occupations were set aside for particular “entitled” classes under the contentious quota system. This included a 30% reservation for the descendants of those who fought for independence, 10% for women and citizens of impoverished areas, 5% for members of ethnic minorities and 1% for individuals with disabilities. Only 44% of the government jobs in the country were available to general category candidates.
The district-wise quota, which was first implemented in 1972 for liberation warriors and then extended to their children in 1997 and grandkids in 2010, was abolished in 2018 by the Hasina-led government in response to widespread agitation. The Supreme Court reduced the quota for families of freedom fighters to 5% from 30% on 21st July after the High Court overturned the 2018 order and restored the previous quota system in June of this year. Biswas noted that many students participated in the popular uprising because they believed the system was unfair.
“Many Hindus were there in the protests. But today, as communal riots have broken out against Hindus everywhere, the Bangladeshi Hindu is asking a simple question to her fellow citizens: Is this not our country also,” Biswas questioned helplessly.
He claimed that Hindus have gone to their fellow Muslims at this hour amid reports of attacks on Hindus making headlines worldwide. “My Muslim friends are standing guard outside temples and Hindu houses to prevent mobs from ransacking and torching them. There are appeals on social media from well-meaning Muslim citizens to not let the country descend into darkness. It is the fellow Muslims who can protect us. Who else do we turn to,” he asked desperately as what option does the Hindu community have but to accept such tropes at these trying times to provide the marginalized community with a semblance of false comfort.
However, Biswas fears that more casualties and destruction could occur if an interim administration is not established quickly and the situation is not brought under control. “Bangladesh needs a new beginning with Muslims, Hindus and citizens of all other faiths. People are attempting to update the list of districts affected by communal riots. I can only pray that the list does not get any longer. Too much has been lost already,” he stressed.
Like Biswas, Aaria Bhowmik, a university student, too welcomed Sheikh Hasina’s withdrawal from office by posting numerous celebratory photos of herself with Bangladesh’s flag with the remark, “The people of Bengal are free today.” In another post, she declared, “I am Hindu and my friends from every religion in Bangladesh are here to protect me. We built this Bnagladesh together. We are united.”
Aaria Bhowmik, a student in a Bangladesh University, posted the viral online trend on her FB saying – I am Hindu, and my friends are there to protect me
Aaria’s misconceptions were promptly dispelled by the radicals. Soon after, she realized the true worth of the life of a Hindu in the Muslim-majority country and appealed, “In protest, we stand united, irrespective of religion. We have not seen religion, only humanity, and now we, as Hindus, are being attacked. It’s time to raise our voices, to make our stance clear and strong against this injustice.”
However, she didn’t realise that while it might be true for her, an Islamist views the world through the lens of Islam and the protests were merely a means for them to ruthlessly attack Hindus. Aaria also uploaded screengrabs of multiple news articles detailing the assaults on Hindus, their residences and temples including well-known Bangladeshi musician Rahul Ananda, whose home was set on fire and had his belongings pillaged by an Islamist mob.
The Hindu students, who considered Bangladesh as their own and stood side by side with their Muslim countrymen in the agitation are now inevitably reduced to begging for the lives and honour of their families, friends and fellow Hindus to be spared and their religious places and properties not to be vandalised and burned.
Amid the ongoing violence in Bangladesh, there have been attempts by Bangladeshi citizens to enter India by illegally crossing the border. Such several attempts were prevented by the BSF on Wednesday along the international border in North Bengal. BSF said that around 200 villagers from Thakurgaon district in Bangladesh, most of whom are Awami League members and Hindus, attempted to enter India. BSF fired warning shots in the air to prevent the influx.
“The BSF North Bengal Frontier effectively managed gatherings of Bangladeshi Nationals near the Indo-Bangladesh border today. With vigilance and coordination with BGB, they ensured safety and prevented any border breaches,” tweeted North Bengal Frontier BSF.
The BSF North Bengal Frontier effectively managed gatherings of Bangladeshi Nationals near the Indo-Bangladesh border today. With vigilance and coordination with BGB, they ensured safety and prevented any border breaches. #BorderSecurity#BSF#IndiasFirstLineOfDefencepic.twitter.com/m12K1pUydc
However, the villagers refused to return to Bangladesh as the mob was hunting for Awami League members and Hindus and stayed in the no-man’s land between the two countries. That part of the border is unfenced so BSF had to form a human barrier to keep them out of India.
“The villagers are still there, between 200m and 500m from the international border,” said BSF DIG (North Bengal Frontier) Amit Kumar Tyagi. Around 600 Bangladeshis are refusing to leave the no man’s land near Jalpaiguri in northern Bengal, demanding entry into India. Both BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) are asking them to return, but they are refusing.
As per reports, similar scenes can be seen in many places along the border. In another place, six people were stopped by the BSF at the zero point. Lack of barbed wire fence on the border in that area has made it attractive place to try and cross the international border, putting a lot of stress on the BSF personnel.
Videos shared on social media show Bangladeshi Hindus and others being targeted by mob crossing a river in Temkabhita village in Thakurgaon district to enter India.
As per reports, almost everyone in the village left their homes to leave their country. They reached the border along the North Dinjapur district in West Bengal with essential items, but were not allowed to move further by the BSF.
The situation escalated on Tuesday night when former Awami League MP Kamarul Arefin, his wife, and two daughters attempted to enter India without valid visas at Petrapole-Benapole border crossings. They had appealed for entry into India, fearing for their lives in their country. But BSF stopped and sent them back to Bangladesh, where they were detained by BGB.
On Wednesday, BGB stopped two more Awami League politicians at the Darshana border checkpoint.
As Bangladesh has been engulfed in anarchy and anti-Hindu violence after Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign and leave the country, the political vultures in India are hoping for similar ‘uprising’ in India. Some Congress leaders have started comparing the situation in Bangladesh with the imaginary anti-Modi ‘undercurrent’ in India. They are also imagining similar similar scenario in India as seen in Bangladesh when protestors stormed Sheikh Hasina’s residence Gono Bhaban and plundered it.
On the 7th of August, Congress motormouth Mani Shankar Aiyar compared the situation in violence-hit Bangladesh with India. Repeating discredited EVM-hacking allegations the opposition made during the elections, Aiyar insinuated that somehow Indian elections were not free and fair as was alleged in Bangladesh.
He asserted that Bangladesh’s democracy has certain “shortcomings,” as evidenced by the opposition’s refusal to participate in elections earlier this year.
“Bangladeshi opposition parties stayed away since they felt the process is neither free nor fair,” he said.
IANS Exclusive
Delhi: On political crisis in Bangladesh, Former Minister and Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar says, "Despite economic growth, unemployment has increased significantly. There could be a comparison between their situation and ours…" pic.twitter.com/KEIgv0Rega
The Congress leader, who earned notoriety for his outrageous remarks in the past, stated that this is not the case in India, where the opposition freely participates in elections, but that there are some concerns, “some suspicions” that have arisen and are being expressed by some groups.
He claimed that on nearly 79 seats in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, there was a lot of difference in voting numbers before and after. He claimed that just like how suspicion arose in the minds of the Bangladeshi people over the election results there, several Indians are also suspecting similar ‘foul play’.
“Such suspicions have been raised here now, but in Bangladesh, they are at peak,” Aiyar said.
Aiyar stated that important lessons must be drawn from these concerns, saying, “We will be Viksit Bharat, but will it be an independent and democratic India?”
Apparently, Mani Shankar Aiyar’s unsubstantiated claims find roots in a dubious online report. However, the Election Commission had recently refuted these claims and said that “False campaign is being run by some (other than candidates) in furtherance of design to discredit largest elections ever held in the history of mankind in most transparent manner involving candidates/ stakeholders at every stage of elections. Unfounded attempts are made to compare approx turnout fig at 7 PM on poll day (when many PS might be closing poll &/or voters waiting in queue)with ‘End of Poll’ turnout available a day after poll day,” the ECI said.
While legitimate means to challenge an electoral outcome by a candidate or elector is through an Election Petition u/ RPA 1951, no EP is reportedly filed on such grounds. A lesser number of EPs have been reportedly filed in 79 PCs in GE 2024 as against 138 EPs in GE 2019.
3/3
— Election Commission of India (@ECISVEEP) August 4, 2024
Electoral data & outcomes are strictly as per statutory forms & procedures u/RPA. While legitimate means to challenge an electoral outcome by a candidate or elector is through an Election Petition u/ RPA 1951, no EP is reportedly filed on such grounds. A lesser number of EPs have been reportedly filed in 79 PCs in GE 2024 as against 138 EPs in GE 2019,” the ECI added.
Evidently, the Congress leaders are using unfounded and malicious claims to not only attack the Modi government and ECI but also to fuel Bangladesh-like anarchy in India.
If this was not alarming enough, Congress leader Sajjan Kumar Verma said that the day is not far when people will storm Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official residence and drive him out of the country just as it happened with Sheikh Hasina.
“First in Sri Lanka, the public barged into the residence of their Prime Minister, then in Bangladesh and now its India’s number,” Verma said.
Similarly, Congress leader Salman Khurshid also threatened that a Bangladesh-like situation could develop in India. “Everything may look normal in Kashmir. Everything may look normal here in Delhi, after the election results. The fact remains that under the surface, there is something. What’s happening in Bangladesh can happen here. The spread of our country prevents things from blowing up in the manner in which they have blown up in Bangladesh,” Khurshid said while speaking at a book launch event.
SHOCKING: "We disappointed young Muslims to the extent that they decided to take law & order in hand" says Salman Khurshid.
Congress leader justifies terrorist activities and attacks in Kashmir and India by Muslims. pic.twitter.com/vzzf2qSwfs
The Congress leader’s statement reeks of regret that the spread of India prevents things from blowing up the way they have in Bangladesh.
These types of statements by Congress leaders are not only unsettling, but they also indicate a dangerous propensity to incite unrest and anarchy in a stable India.
The Congress party’s rhetoric appears to emanate from frustration over recurrent political setbacks. The people of India have elected the Modi-led BJP government in three consecutive elections, indicating a strong preference for its leadership and policies, even though their seats have decreased, which is not surprising in a democracy. Instead of respecting the democratic process and participating in constructive opposition, the Congress party’s incendiary threats weaken democracy altogether.
Perhaps, despite the best efforts to create fissures in the country on caste and regional lines, the Congress could only increase its tally by a few seats and its alliance despite gaining big, could not defeat the BJP-led NDA, Congress is hoping for civil unrest as a means to oust a democratically elected government. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi, the self-styled owner-operator of “Mohabbat ki Dukaan” has maintained silence over his party leaders making inflammatory remarks.
On Wednesday, 7th August, the Centre-appointed tribunal that examined the ninth renewal of the prohibition on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act maintained the ban on SIMI. The decision was based on the information from the Phulwarisharif PFI case, which involved an operation to disrupt Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Patna in July 2022, as well as other ISIS-inspired terror plots being investigated by the NIA and many state police agencies.
The UAPA tribunal’s judgment, released in a gazette announcement on Tuesday, 6th August, noted that it is evident that SIMI continues to engage in illegal and terrorist activities despite being banned, based on facts and information supplied to it.
“The organization is expanding its ranks by indoctrinating young boys and operating through front organizations. SIMI maintains connections with various terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, ISIS, and Indian Mujahideen. It continues to receive both domestic and international funding, which supports its activities in India… it is clear that several accused persons, who have committed various offences across different jurisdictions, have been identified as members or activists of SIMI. By conspiring together, they committed numerous offenses aligned with SIMI’s ideologies and propaganda,” it added.
ISIS supporting PFI (One India)
The tribunal noted that the proof presented in cases including ex-SIMI cadres effectively established the fact that despite the previous bans, SIMI is still active through its members and activists. It observed that ex-SIMI cadres are now either associated with the extremist Popular Front of India (PFI), which is also banned under UAPA, or found to be carrying out ISIS propaganda and executing attacks to advance the global terror outfit’s beliefs of Islamic rule.
One of the key evidence statements relied on by the tribunal in confirming the SIMI ban is that of NIA officer Vipin Kumar, who testified that the key accused in the Phulwarisharif PFI case, Athar Parvej and Jalaluddin, were connected with SIMI members and sought their assistance in the planning and execution of terrorist acts.
The investigators discovered incriminating materials titled ‘India 2047: Towards rule of Islam in India’ that detailed how PFI plans to replace democratic governance in India with Islamic authority by inciting discontent and training cadres in the use of rudimentary weapons to commit violent acts. Parvej admitted that he was organizing a secret gang of ex-SIMI members to avenge “atrocities against Muslims and derogatory remarks against Islam” on PFI’s orders, citing planned attacks on Hindu individuals in Amravati and Udaipur. The PFI ‘vision document’ found in Parvej’s residence served as the foundation for the organization’s classification as an “unlawful association” under UAPA in 2022. The whole PFI management was arrested in the aftermath of the ban.
SIMI aims to govern human life on the basis of the Quran, destroy nationalism
As per the official gazette, the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) was founded on April 25, 1977, at Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh, as a youth and student organization affiliated with Jamait-e-Islami-Hind (JEIH). In 1993, the organization declared independence through a resolution.
The objective of the organization has been to govern human life on the basis of the Quran; propagation of Islam; “Jihad” (religious war) for the cause of Islam and destruction of nationalism and establishment of Islamic Rule or Caliphate. SIMI has always aspired to mobilize students and young to spread Islam and promote Jihad. The organization promotes the establishment of “Shariat”-based Islamic rule through “Islami Inqilab”.
The organization opposes the nation-state, the Constitution, and the secular order. They consider idol worship to be a sin and believe it is their job to eradicate it. Since November 1996, the SIMI has been conducting a nationwide campaign to rally support for the Caliphate (Islamic rule) among Muslims. SIMI opposes Indian nationalism and aims to replace it with the International Islamic Order.
The Ministry of Home Affairs received reports of the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) activities and statements that harmed harmony among communities, hurt religious sentiments, incited violence, and questioned the country’s territorial integrity. Based on feedback from intelligence agencies and state/UT governments, the MInistry observed that SIMI advocated self-determination in Kashmir and was in close touch with Kashmiri militant outfits including pro-Pak Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HUM) and the Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF). The leadership of SIMI also extended full support to extremists and terrorists in Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.
“SIMI was involved in various militant/terrorist activities in the country, especially in Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Accordingly, the Central Government decided to ban SIMI by declaring it as an Unlawful Association under the provisions of the UAPA, and the SIMI was banned for the first time in September 2001. In view of the continuous activities of SIMI, the organization was further banned from time to time,” the gazette read.
Earlier, SIMI’s ban was maintained in the years 2001, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014 and 2019. The tribunal marked that the SIMI activists every time continued their activities for which it was banned earlier, as a result of which it again faced a ban in the year 2024.
It raised funds from rich Muslims, and has been in touch with worldwide terrorist organizations
It has also come to the fore that SIMI raised funds through donations, from rich Muslims and sale of animal hides. In a national meeting held in Delhi in the year 2004, SIMI leadership emphasized the need to raise funds and fixed quarterly targets for each division. In Maharashtra, funds were raised from rich Muslims under the banner of ‘Al Islam’ (Malegaon) and ‘Ishat-e-Deen’ (Mumbai). The SIMI members also had contacts in places like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Bangladesh. Being a group of students and youth, SIMI has been easily influenced by hard-core Islamist terrorist organizations operating from within the country and abroad.
Fundamentalist/terrorist outfits like the Pakistan-based Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba have successfully penetrated the SIMI Cadres to achieve their goals. SIMI is believed to have been operating for years in Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and National Capital Territory of Delhi. It is further believed that SIMI activities have also been noticed in the States of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttarakhand.
SIMI advocates Islamic rule in India as well as other countries. They have been involved in using derogatory language against Hindu Gods and deities and exhorting Muslims for Jihad. The SIMI activists have been publishing objectionable posters to create hatred between Hindus and Muslims, for which they have faced bans multiple times in the past.
From the official gazette
The Center imposed the present ban after the authorities discovered that the ex-SIMI activists continued their unlawful activities in various parts of the country. The activities were noticed in the states of Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh. It was found that the ex-SIMI members were involved in a conspiracy to disrupt the visit of the Prime Minister of India to Patna, Bihar in July 2022.
Their involvement was also found in organizing and recruiting youth to establish Khilafat or Islamic rule in India. The attempts to radicalize and recruit the youth and collect funds in the Central Prison of Bengaluru were further exposed. SIMI activists have also been in contact touch with terrorist organizations like Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Indian Mujahideen (IM) to procure arms and funds needed to fulfill its objectives of spreading radicalization across the nation.
Some notable terrorist attacks involving SIMI include:
1992 Bombay Riots: SIMI was allegedly involved in the communal riots that took place in Mumbai (formerly Bombay) in 1992-1993.
2001 Indian Parliament Attack: Several members of SIMI were suspected to have connections with the terrorist organizations responsible for the attack on the Indian Parliament in December 2001.
2006 Mumbai Train Bombings: SIMI was suspected to have been involved in the serial train bombings in Mumbai in July 2006 that claimed the innocent lives of over 209 people.
2008 Ahmedabad Bombings: SIMI members were alleged to have played a role in the coordinated bomb attacks in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in July 2008.
2013 Bodh Gaya Blast: Members of SIMI were suspected of being involved in the blasts at the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, Bihar, in July 2013.
Abdul Sattar, a SIMI operative, was arrested in the case relating to a 2007 terror training camp held at Wagamon in Kerala after he was deported from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). NIA also suspected Sattar’s involvement in other cases, including the 2008 Bangalore blasts.
In April 2015, there was another incident in which two alleged SIMI members, Mohammed Eijazuddin and Mohammed Aslam, who had escaped from Khandwa Jail in Madhya Pradesh in October 2013, shot dead Telangana policemen.
SIMI also has a history of even aiding Pakistan’s ISI against India. The SIMI was originally banned in 2001 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and the organisation’s ban has been extended on a regular basis since then. The MHA extended the ban on SIMI for five years in its January 31, 2019 announcement. This was the eighth time the ban has been extended. Nevertheless, SIMI was active for nearly four decades in the country.
Association with PFI and the latter’s ban
SIMI is believed to be the student wing of a banned extremist terrorist organization named the Popular Front of India. The Central government in the year 2022 banned PFI and its 8 associated organizations involved in conducting anti-India activities. The objectives and vision of the PFI and the means to achieve them were enshrined in the document titled ‘India 2047: Towards Rule of Islam in India’ which was seized during the investigation of the case by the NIA.
The PFI, as mentioned in the anti-India incriminating document, broadly aimed at
i. Establishment of the Rule of Islam in India.
ii. Political power to Muslims and establishment of Islamic Government in India by 2047.
iii. Strengthening at least 10% of the Muslim population and associating them with the PFI to subjugate the majority community and bring back the glory of Islam.
iv. Unite Muslims & provide weapons training to PFI cadres
v. Selective use of violence to demonstrate strength and terrorize opponents
vi. Alliances with SCs/STs/OBCs to divide Hindus for political gains
vii. Infiltrate Police, Army and Judiciary
viii. Unveil a new Constitution based on Islamic Shariah law with the help of external forces.
ix. To organize Physical Efficiency (PE) training in handling weapons, arms, and explosives under the guise of Yoga Classes & ‘Healthy People Healthy Nation’ and such like campaigns.
x. Identification, reconnaissance, and elimination of all those who do not believe in the establishment of Islamic rule in India.
India 2047 PFI document
While the NIA officials recovered the ‘Mission 2047’ document and PE training material from the PFI hideout in Maharashtra, it recovered GPS-enabled wireless communication devices and marine radio sets from the PFI leaders of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Two wireless sets, Lowrance LHR-80 Floating Handheld VHF with GPS, were seized. Wireless gadgets are used to map water routes and as reported earlier, the PFI members may have been utilizing them for terror actions and money exchange.
Two Lowrance LHR-80 recovered from the residence of Barakathulla
The NIA during the raids also recovered several USB drives and other digital devices including three mobile phones from the PFI hideout in Uttar Pradesh. The devices contained a video of ISIS, a video of Gajwa-e-Hind, and a video of a provocative speech. The USB drive also contained videos related to the 1993 Bombay riots and Kashmiri Mujahid. The PFI members had plans to spread the roots of the organization to almost every household by 2047. They also had plans to establish Islamic rule in the country by 2047, the year that would mark 100 years of the country’s independence.
Promoting Love Jihad and religious conversion
The investigating agencies also revealed that the PFI activists were deliberately encouraging the Islamists to trap Hindu women in love affairs and produce more children, ultimately expanding the Muslim community. The PFI asked its cadres and other Muslims to force the Hindu women to convert their religion to Islam. At every PFI gathering, they would try to influence Muslims to run the agenda of love jihad and religious conversion. The organization had also declared a financial reward of Rs 2 lakh, a shop, and a house to anyone who would convert a Hindu girl to Islam. Reports mention that several Islamic organizations from several Islamic countries provided funds to the PFI for this purpose.
Investigations also revealed that PFI cadres had also been linked to a series of crimes with religious angle. Some of these are Professor T.J. Joseph’s hand-chopping case, Hindu Munani activist Sasi Kumar’s murder in Tamil Nadu, RSS leader Rudresh’s murder in 2016 in Bangalore, Ramalingam’s murder in Thirupuvanam in Tamil Nadu for interfering in religious conversion activity, RSS worker Sanjith’s murder in 2021 in Kerala’s Palakkad, RSS leader Srinivasan’s murder in Kerala’s Palakkad, and RSS’s Praveen Nettaru murder case.
The Center in its gazette mentioned that PFI cadres maintained a database of detailed information about the leaders of certain organizations who oppose the ideology of PFI. They eliminated all those who opposed their ideology or interfered in their anti-India activities.
The ban on the SIMI and the Popular Front of India (PFI) is viewed as beneficial due to its involvement in various unlawful activities, including terror-related incidents. By banning such organizations, the government aims to mitigate potential threats to national security. The ban is also seen as a measure to prevent the spread of extremist ideologies, protect vulnerable populations from radicalization, maintain public order, and promote communal harmony. India by this shall improve its international standing by demonstrating a commitment to combating terrorism and maintaining global security.
In a shocking case of suspected horror killing, a 20-year-old Haseen strangled his 16-year-old sister Amrisha to death over her will to marry a Hindu man of her choice. The incident transpired in the Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh on 7th August. A video of the incident went viral on social media. The accused, an electrician, has been arrested by the authorities. He was angry about his sister’s love affair with a guy outside their Muslim community. The instance took place in the Nagla Shekhu village of Incholi police station area in Meerut.
Hassen killed his sister in the middle of the road while shouting that she ruined their father’s honour. Many people assembled around the two when someone recorded the horrifying occurrence and shared it online. The footage showed the perpetrator sitting on the chest of the minor and choking her. She was in love with a young man from a nearby village named Mohit. He used to frequently visit her hamlet as his sister was married there and the pair fell in love. The deceased even planned to elope with her lover and ran away from home thrice.
She fled to him in March and was recovered by police. She went to him again in May and was brought back. She did the same in August before returning. The culprit was furious about it and claimed that she had destroyed their family’s name by repeatedly running away from home and brought disrepute to their father’s honour. She wanted to again elope on the fateful day and Haseen found about out it after which they two had an altercation. He had also assaulted her.
He dragged her out of their residence and took her to the road where he started yelling, “She has ruined my father’s honour. She will even devour him. If I had not killed her, he would have died. She has run away from home three times. What would I have done if I had not killed such a person?” Several men and women were present at the scene, yet none intervened to stop him.
UP के मेरठ में ऑनर किलिंग का Live Video –
मुस्लिम लड़की का हिन्दू लड़के से अफेयर था। वो शादी की जिद पर अड़ गई। फैमिली ने समझाया कि दोनों के धर्म अलग-अलग हैं, ये शादी नहीं हो सकती। आज भाई हसीन ने बीच सड़क पर गला दबाकर बहन को मार डाला। भीड़ तमाशा देखती रही।
Kamlesh Bahadur, Superintendent of Police (Meerut rural) informed, “She had recently eloped with the man and we brought back both of them. She was handed over to her family because of being a minor while the accused was also freed as her family members refused to lodge the complaint, fearing social stigma.” Furthermore, the police stated that they suspected it to be an honour killing.
The official added, “Her family members wanted to get her married but she used to have arguments with them over it. As per information provided by the neighbours, she had an argument with her brother about marrying the man of her choice in the morning. Her brother Haseen got enraged during the argument and strangled her.” Her brother followed her after she escaped her residence and beat her on the road. He later strangled her there, according to the cops.
Haseen has two children and is the eldest among his eight siblings while Amrisha was the youngest. He worked outside and had come back after learning that his sister had absconded from the house. He was apprehended from his home after the cops were informed about the killing and a First Information Report has been registered against him. He confessed to the crime and asserted that he did the right thing as his sister threatened to leave the house. She was adamant about marrying the Hindu boy.
On 7th August (local time), New York Times changed headline of one of its published news reports after facing severe backlash from readers. Earlier, the headline read “Hindus in Bangladesh Face Revenge Attacks After Prime Minister’s Exit” which attracted heavy criticism on social media.
Source: Archive.org/NYT
In the report, NYT asserted that Hindus were under attack as they were seen as “allies” of Sheikh Hasina’s political party Awami League. While the media house acknowledged that Hindus were being targeted in the Muslim-dominating country, they attempted to whitewash the communal angle to it by saying Hindus were under attack for supporting Hasina. So much so, they also quoted a student leader Nahid Islam stating the attack on Hindus was being done by those who want to “destroy” the student movement.
Human Rights Watch also pushed the same narrative. Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy director for Asia at Human Rights Watch said, “Hindus are being attacked because they traditionally supported her Awami League party. Bangladeshis came out on the streets to demand an end to authoritarianism, and these attacks undermine their just demand for human rights.”
Later the media house quietly changed the headline to “Hindus in Bangladesh Face Attacks After Prime Minister’s Exit”
Source: NYT
Though the title has been changed, the content remained the same, pushing the narrative that Hindus were being targeted as they supported Hasina’s political party and not because of communal reasons.
Backlash over headline in report on New York Times on social media
NYT’s blatant attempt to push false narrative whitewashing communal angle in attack on Hindus was criticised extensively on social media. Author Abhinav Agarwal said, “If there is a genocide to whitewash, mass murders to defend, pedophiles to protect, the venerable New York Times can be relied upon.”
If there is a genocide to whitewash, mass murders to defend, pedophiles to protect, the venerable New York Times can be relied upon.
1️⃣Justifying the ongoing genocide of Hindus in Bangladesh—attacks on Hindus are "revenge" attacks. Changes headline after outrage (image credit… pic.twitter.com/lHQ5j1hATK
Journalist Swati Goel Sharma wrote on X, “Imagine what the ground situation must be that even New York Times has published a report today on targeted attacks against Hindus in Bangladesh? Protesters who helped oust Hasina have been quoted saying “ordinary Hindus”, and not just Awami League leaders, are facing attacks on their lives, homes and temples. This, when daily exodus of Hindus from Bangladesh has only increased over the decades. Shame on everyone who tried to whitewash communal atrocities against Hindus In Bangladesh just because the mobs are also targeting Muslim Awami leaders and policemen. The bloodshed will hopefully end soon, but eradication of Hindus from Bangladesh will not. Like in Pakistan, the world would silently watch.”
Imagine what the ground situation must be that even New York Times has published a report today on targeted attacks against Hindus in Bangladesh?
Protesters who helped oust Hasina have been quoted saying “ordinary Hindus”, and not just Awami League leaders, are facing attacks… pic.twitter.com/efhSyb888N
X user Bala said, “New York Times has reported the Genocide of Bangladeshi Hindus as ‘Revenge Attacks.’ NYT is trying to whitewash the killings of Hindus as attacks against supporters of Sheikh Hasina.”
New York Times @nytimes has reported the Genocide of Bangladeshi Hindus as 'Revenge Attacks.'
NYT is trying to whitewash the killings of Hindus as attacks against supporters of Sheikh Hasina. pic.twitter.com/36jtxewunb
AUthor Abhishek Banerjee said, “For New York Times, attack on Hindus in Bangladesh is not persecution. It is “revenge”. Revenge for what? A “perception” that Hindus supported Sheikh Hasina in elections… This is 1930s Nazi level stuff from New York Times.”
For New York Times, attack on Hindus in Bangladesh is not persecution
It is "revenge"
Revenge for what?
A "perception" that Hindus supported Sheikh Hasina in elections…
X user Anshul Saxena said, “The New York Times justified the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh by calling them “revenge attacks.” Now, a narrative is being created that Hindus are culprits, so they deserve this, while those carrying out the attacks are being whitewashed. This is international media for you.”
The New York Times justified the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh by calling them "revenge attacks."
Now, a narrative is being created that Hindus are culprits, so they deserve this, while those carrying out the attacks are being whitewashed.
Advocate Ishkaran Singh Bhandari said, “New York Times justification for GENOCIDE OF HINDUS IN BANGLADESH! The Globalist’s have no value nor belief in Human Rights for Hindu. That’s why CAA, that’s why Bharat should do whatever it can to protect.”
New York Times justification for GENOCIDE OF HINDUS IN BANGLADESH!
The Globalist’s have no value nor belief in Human Rights for Hindu.
— Ishkaran Singh Bhandari (@ishkarnBHANDARI) August 8, 2024
Attack on Hindus in Bangladesh
On 5th August, it came to light that Islamists attacked Hindus’ houses, shops and temples in Bangladesh in the guise of protests against the Sheikh Hasina government. Despite the resignation by Hasina from the Prime Minister’s post, the protests continued and so did the attacks on Hindus. Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar has also expressed concerns over attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.
Earlier, OpIndia reported about the list of several attacks released by the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and attacks reported by The Daily Star, a leading Bangladeshi newspaper. Several videos and photos of attacks on Hindus have also surfaced on social media.
Hindus are being butchered in Bangladesh after the fall of Sheikh Hasina. In a minimum of 27 districts, Hindu houses, and businesses are being specifically targeted, there are reports of Hindu girls missing, Temples being attacked and men being lynched and hung in the streets for all to see. After the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, the now-former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, the Jamaat-e-Islami gangs are wreaking havoc in Bangladesh.
There are several horrifying tales of brutality against Hindus in Bangladesh which has come to the fore. The carnage started on the 5th of August, just as Sheikh Hasina fled to India. In Sherpur, the house of the president of the Sribardi Upazila Youth Unity Council was attacked, vandalised and looted.
In Khulna, the houses of Shyamal Kumar Das and Swajan Kumar Das in Highgate village of Rupsa Thana area, houses of Biman Bihari Amit, president of the Khulna District Unity Council and Animesh Sarkar Rinku, president of the Youth Unity Council in Tootpara of Khulna city, house of Jayanta Gain in Amtali Banisanta, Dacope, and houses of the minority community in Darpara, Koyra were attacked, vandalised and looted.
In Feni, the Durga Temple was attacked. In Dinajpur, the Fulthala cremation ground was forcefully occupied. Five temples including Kali Mandir in Parbatipur were vandalised. Minority community houses were attacked and looted in Setabganj Bochakganj and Dhalla village of Chirirbandar Thana area.
In Patuakhali, the Radha Govinda Temple in Kuakata was attacked and vandalised. The house of Ananta Mukherjee was attacked, vandalised, and looted. Minority homes in wards 2 and 3 of the Sadar, Panchagarh, were attacked, vandalised, and looted.
There are other visuals of Hindu women crying and pleading, hoping someone would save them. In this visual, for example, a woman wails about Hindu women being gang raped by the Muslim mobs.
Hindu women have faced brutal torture in #Bangladesh.
Listen to what these Hindu women of different areas of the #Pirojpur district said.
On the night of 05/08/2024, Islamists attacked several areas of #Pirojpur Town.
In other visuals, a Hindu ASI Santosh Saha was lynched by a Muslim mob and then hung upside down in the middle of the road. There was an X marked on his chest.
This is, of course, only the tip of the iceberg. OpIndia has covered over 70 incidents of such violence against Hindus and the list only keeps growing. Speaking to OpIndia, local Hindus said that as soon as Sheikh Hasina fled, Jamaat-e-Islami started collating lists of Hindu businesses, houses and establishments to then systematically target them. They also told us that Jamaat men were roaming the streets with weapons, restricting Hindus from fleeing to safer places. Some of the Hindus told us that barring a few, most hospitals were refusing to treat Hindus too – those who had been injured in the violence.
The atrocities being committed by Muslim mobs in Bangladesh have been acknowledged and reported by the Bangladeshi media as well. However, for a large section of the Indian media, atrocities against Hindus must be rationalised, contextualised and justified.
The Scroll, a Left propaganda publication, published a shameless justification of the targeted and religiously motivated hate crimes against Bangladeshi Hindus on the 8th of August 2024.
In an article headlined “Bangladesh: Why there must be caution in understanding the violence against Hindus”, Scroll provides three arguments, essentially trying to whitewash the religious targeting of Hindus.
Written by Niladri Chatterjee, Muhammad Asiful Basar and Arild Engelsen Ruud (yes, it took them three people to write this wad of nonsense), the Scroll article starts by rationalising the violence by BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami mobs. “But even after successfully overthrowing the regime, the bottled-up anger against the dictatorial Awami League government continues to spill out in violent episodes. This may not come as a complete surprise, since violence of some kind is the inevitable aftermath of any uprising, Bangladesh is no exception”, the article says.
“Violence of some kind is an inevitable aftermath of any uprising”, the article says, offering a justification for the rampant violence by Jihadi elements. At the very outset, Scroll signals that according to their ‘analysis’ (which took three people), Sheikh Hasina was a “dictator” and therefore, the violent coup against a democratically elected leader was an “uprising”. The ensuing violence was “expected” because it is the aftermath of such an “uprising”.
After justifying the violence by Jihadis, Scroll then, slyly, chooses to blame the Hindus of India, who are trying to shine a light on the atrocities being committed in Bangladesh.
Excerpt from Scroll article
The purpose of casting aspersions is very simple – They want people to believe that all the information being posted by Hindus in India is merely misinformation and propaganda – and that things are not as bad in Bangladesh after all. The persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh, according to Scroll, is a mere figment of the “Hindutva imagination”.
After blaming “Hindutva” for the violence committed by Jihadi mobs, they proceed to paint a benevolent picture of the Bangladeshi Muslims – “They are not that bad as the Hindus want you to believe”, they insinuate.
Excerpt of Scroll article
The usual trope of how Muslims were the ones protecting temples makes a comeback in the Scroll article. Every time there is a religiously motivated attack against Hindus, the Left media seems to find 5 Muslims who form a “human chain” to protect temples. It is almost as if the media develops a selective vision. They use this as an example of brotherhood without really telling their readers what it is that the 5 Muslims were protecting the temple from. They work terribly hard to paint the 5 as the rule and 50,000 as the exception.
After watering down the attacks by blaming the “Hindutva people” and then painting the Muslims going on a rampage as the good samaritans, Scroll proceeds to further contextualise the sectarian violence against Hindus by offering a few explanations.
Here are the three reports Scroll gives, justifying attacks against Hindus
“There are no instances of revolutions without spillovers”.
Yes, Hindus are being attacked – but please remember that they are Awami League supporters.
It’s just loot. They want the land
The first “reason” that Scroll provides to diminish the suffering of Hindus, is simply a dismissal of it as par for the course. The Scroll writes:
Excerpt from Scroll article
Scroll in their first explanation essentially says that when there are uprisings and revolutions, some violence is expected and therefore, insinuates that this religiously motivated genocide against the Hindus in Bangladesh is simply par for the course.
The second reason they provide is parroting the Jamaat-e-Islami line.
Excerpt from Scroll article
Scroll justifies the attack against Hindus by saying that the Muslims are only targeting Hindus because they are viewed as Awami League supporters. Giving a ‘political context’ to the massacre of Hindus is not new. It is a tried and tested modus operandi applied by the Left media, which acts like the ideological backbone of Jihadis.
Rajdeep had also written a moving piece when journalist Shujaat Bukhari was brutally murdered. What is interesting, is that when Hindu Activist Prashant Poojari was murdered, Rajdeep had written a piece trying to whitewash the crime and assert that his murder had a “political context”.
On October 9, 2015, a Bajrang Dal activist, Prashant Poojary was brutally hacked to death for trying to stop illegal cow slaughter by PFI terrorists. Poojary was attacked by six bike-borne men in broad daylight in a marketplace. He died the same day of his injuries.
Interestingly, that article as well was published on The Scroll.
Prashant Poojari was murdered specifically because he was a Hindu activist, by a terrorist group which has, officially, stated that it wanted to commit the genocide of Hindus and establish an Islamic state in India. That murder was brushed away as a “political murder” and not one driven by religious hate. The Muslim man who was murdered for the theft of a cow was the real victim of sectarian violence – not the Hindu who was murdered by an Islamic terror organisation specifically for his Hindu identity.
The Scroll has deployed the same tactic to justify the violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. Their targeting, according to Scroll, is merely political in nature and not driven by religious hate because they were viewed as Awami League supporters. To further justify this, they have already declared Sheikh Hasina as a dictator. Essentially, Scroll is saying that Hindus are being massacred by Muslims because it was the Hindus who are viewed as the supporters of a “dictator” and therefore, there is no reason to really outage about their genocide. To put things into context – while Sheikh Hasina was only marginally better for Hindus – she was explicitly against the Jihadi forces like Jamaat-e-Islami – who are now committing a genocide of Hindus. As is the usual trope of the Left – anyone opposing Jihadis must be a dictator and the massacre of their supporters is simply par for the course.
After claiming that Hindus have come under attack because violence is a part of ‘revolution’ and that the Hindus were supporting a “dictator”, the third reason Scroll provides to rationalise the violence against Hindus is to claim that the Jihadis going on a rampage against Hindus is merely to loot.
Excerpt from Scroll article
In their desperation to downplay the genocide of Hindus by Jihadis, Scroll, in their third reason, say that the attacks are “probably” just incidents of loot. They say that they can’t be sure of the reasons behind individual incidents of violence, but in all probability, the Jihadis are just poor people trying to loot the Hindus.
There are tens of testimonies of Hindus which detail the religiously motivated nature of the violence. Further, it is not like Hindus are being attacked for their religious identity for the first time. In 2021, a rumour of the Quran being desecrated led to Muslim mobs running rampage against Hindus. Almost on a daily basis, Hindus are raped, converted and beheaded in Islamic nations like Bangladesh and Pakistan. But that is simply not proof enough. The pleas of Hindus are not enough. Their testimonies are not enough. Video and pictorial evidence is not good enough. Every incident of violence against Hindus is going to be downplayed and whitewashed by the likes of Scroll – the ideological backbones of Jihadis – the Left rags that give them covering fire while they commit a genocide.
On Tuesday, August 7, the Manipur Government alerted the public regarding an audio recording circulating on social media falsely claiming to be that of Chief Minister N Biren Singh. The state government said in a statement that the doctored audio clip is a malicious attempt by certain sections of people to incite communal violence to derail the peace process that has been initiated at multiple levels.
Notably, in the doctored audio clip that emerged, a voice claiming to be that of Manipur CM Biren Singh is heard saying that he has initiated the ethnic cleansing against the Kuki-Zo community in Manipur. After the audio clip went viral, the Manipur Govt initiated a probe and warned legal action against all individuals/organisations involved in this conspiracy.
“Our social media analysis indicates that a coordinated and targeted campaign is underway with numerous X (formerly Twitter) accounts sharing the audio clip with similar caption,” the statement said.
The Manipur Police are investigating the matter to trace the origins of this defamatory campaign. Legal action will be taken against all individuals and organizations involved in this conspiracy, the statement read.
The government urged the public to exercise caution and refrain from sharing unverified information.
“The restoration of peace and harmony among our communities is of utmost importance at this juncture more than ever. The state government would not tolerate any action that threatens to disrupt the peace process,” the statement said.
On 7th August, Jon Danilowicz, former deputy chief of the US Mission to Bangladesh between 2012 and 2014, rooted for the return of the acting chairman of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), Tarique Rahman.
In a post on X, he wrote, “Bangladesh should allow Tarique Rahman to return home, deal with his legal issues, see his mother, and engage in political activity if he so chooses. His future role (if any) should be determined by his party and the voters when elections are held. No more, no less.” To monkey-balance his stance, he also called for the return of Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh.
Source: X
Jon’s comments came amid speculation of regime change operation by the US deep state
It is pertinent to note that the coup in Bangladesh is being widely speculated to be a regime change operation by the US deep state. The protests in Bangladesh, violence and departure of Sheikh Hasina from the country have raised questions if there was a US deep state behind the coup. It has to be noted that despite the quota, against which the protests were happening, which was abolished by the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, the protests never faded away. They only intensified leading Hasina to order the use of force against the protesters and several hundred protesters were killed in the process. After the departure of Hasina and the Army took over the country, the violence intensified and Hindus became prime targets of the violent Islamist mobs across Bangladesh.
The role of foreign forces in toppling Hasina’s government has become a topic of discussion as well as concern. One of the organisations whose name has popped up repeatedly is the US Agency for International Development (USAID). The main objective of USAID is clearly, to further US interests abroad and regime change has been one of the interests of the US. USAID has been accused of being directly involved in regime change in Nicaragua and Venezuela.
BRAC has received funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and USAID that tuned into millions. For example, BRAC received USD 1.5 million from the Gates Foundation to build preparedness and emergency response capacity. Furthermore, BRAC has teamed up with USAID in projects like the Bangladesh America Maitree Project, which aims to enhance the capacity of local NGOs through funding and training.
Not to forget, there are allegations that USAID is in front of the CIA, the foreign intelligence organisation of the US government. Furthermore, just before the recent General Elections in Bangladesh, Washington sanctioned members of Sheikh Hasina’s party and promoted a government involving BNP and Jamaat. It aligned with broader discussions about US foreign policy strategies aimed at fostering governments favourable to its interests.
In June this year, Sheikh Hasina made a shocking claim that a plot is being hatched to carve out “a Christian state like East Timor,” from parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar and that she will not let it happen. She claimed that a “white man” who visited with her before the Bangladesh elections in January of this year assured her that there would be “no problems” if she permitted them to establish an airbase on Bangladeshi soil.
Last year, the US also extended support to the Islamist Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its Jihadist ally Jamaat-e-Islami during its protests against the PM Hasina-led government. The US and other Western countries expected the Awami League government to step down and hand over power to a caretaker regime, and release all jailed BNP and Jamaat leaders to ensure ‘free and fair’ elections. However, India and China, despite their disputes, backed Sheikh Hasina in dealing with US pressure resulting in her return to power for the fifth time.
Since there have been reports of the United States attempting to meddle in the elections in Bangladesh by imposing sanctions on Bangladesh’s Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and some officials alongside placing visa restrictions on Bangladeshi officials, it is being speculated that the airbase offer was made by the US.
In November 2023, OpIndia reported that there were clear signs of foreign interference in Bangladesh’s internal affairs. With just two months away from the elections, the United States government, its agencies and the embedded media were called out for orchestrating a ‘regime change operation’ in Bangladesh.
Who is Tarique Rahman?
Born on 20th November 1967 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tarique Rahman is the son of Begum Khaleda Zia, the 10th Prime Minister and first female PM of Bangladesh and Ziaur Rahman, 7th President of Bangladesh. His mother Khaleda Zia was a political prisoner during Hasina’s tenure and was recently released from prison after the Bangladeshi Army took over the country.
Rahman started his political career as a primary member of the BNP in 1988. He played a vital role in campaigning for his mother during the national elections in 1991. During 1996-2001, when Awami League was in power, Rahman actively launched movements against the government in the guise of justice for the marginalised.
Rahman is currently living in the United Kingdom under forced exile. Notable, he is the prime convict and mastermind of the 21st August 2004 terrorist grenade attack on Awami League’s political rally. Military-grade Arges grenade was used in the attack to target the entire top leadership of Awami League including Hasina. 24 leaders and workers including Ivy Rahman, President of Women Awami League and wife of late President Zillur Rahman were killed in the attack. Several hundred attendees of the rally were injured and many of them became permanently handicapped. On 10th October 2018, Rahman was sentenced to life in prison for the grenade attack.
On 11th September 2008, Rahman fled to London, United Kingdom claiming he needed medical treatment. It was said that he gave a written bond that he would not indulge in politics in the future after which he was allowed to go to London. Khalida Zia claimed that her son would actively participate in politics once he returned to Bangladesh. She also claimed that the Bangladeshi government was trying to harass her son to delay his return to the country.
In December 2009, he became senior vice chairman of BNP. There have been reports that while living in London, he was in touch with the US government to discuss “bilateral issues”. One such meeting took place in 2013.
Meanwhile, 12 cases were filed against him and his associate Giasuddin Al Mamun by the Anti-Corruption Commission. Mamun is facing 20 years in prison.
Tarique Rahman actions against India
The ‘India Out’ campaign of Maldives was a success for Mohamed Muizzu as it helped his party gain power in the country. The anti-India sentiment travelled from Maldives to Bangladesh, particularly within the opposition party BNP. The party, led by Rahman, called for a boycott of Indian products. The idea was to adopt a new political manoeuvre to woo voters in favour of BNP in general elections.
Rahman, while living in London, orchestrated the campaign and it ran mainly on social media platforms. The hashtag #IndiaOut was a hit among Bangladeshi users propagating the message of boycotting the products originating from India. BNP argued that India was meddling with Bangladesh’s internal affairs. It has to be noted that BNP is closer to Pakistan than India. The closeness between the BNP and the hostile neighbour has led to radicalisation and anti-India sentiments within the party.
With a former US Diplomat to Bangladesh calling for the return of a terror convict and claiming that he should be allowed to return to active politics only adds fuel to the speculations that the Bangladesh regime change was a coup, aided by the US Deep State.
