Bangladesh Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hassan Mahmood has claimed that certain elements close to Pakistan – the descendants of 22 per cent of the people who did not vote for the Awami League – are responsible for instigating communal clashes in Bangladesh.
Speaking to the media at Kolkata Press Club on Thursday, Mahmood said, “During the general elections in 1970, the Awami League got 298 seats in the provincial assembly and 164 in the national assembly. Then, there were 22 per cent people who did not vote for us and their descendants are still in Bangladesh and these are the people who are trying to divide Hindus and Muslims in Bangladesh. These are the same people who are hindering the development of Bangladesh. They are dividing the society and we will not tolerate it.
Responding to a question on ‘minority attacks’ in Bangladesh, he said, “There is no minority in Bangladesh. All are Bangladeshi and all are Bengali. Here everyone is equal. We do not consider anyone a minority in Bangladesh. I belong to Bangladesh Awami League and I am joint secretary of my party and I want to assure strict action against the attackers.
Mahmood said that during the country’s freedom struggle some people had opposed the move.
“They opposed our freedom struggle. Their descendants are cashing in on communalism. I want to take the name of BNP and I have to tell you that BNP, Jamaat and some fundamentalist parties are behind this kind of unrest in Bangladesh. From day one (referring to the attack on Durga Puja pandal), we stand by our stand that no Hindu can disrespect the Quran and no Muslim can disrespect the ‘Gita’. We were right, because a Muslim was caught for creating all this controversy. His name is Iqbal and he must have acted on someone else’s instructions and we will find out the real conspirators soon.”
“It was a political ploy (on the temple attack) by parties and fundamentalists to destabilize the country and create anarchy in Bangladesh. Our government has taken strict action against all the miscreants. So far 129 cases have been registered and 1204 people have been arrested. Mahmood said that all the houses that were demolished specially in Rangpur have been constructed and our Prime Minister has already assured adequate compensation to all the victims.
On the action taken against the fundamentalists, he said, “It is true that we have failed to completely uproot the fundamentalists but we have managed to cut their wings.”
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