Assam thinkers blame anti-India forces for Puja attacks in Bangladesh

Story by  ATV | Posted by  Aasha Khosa • 2 Years ago
Puja Pandal (File)
Puja Pandal (File)

 

Daulat Rahman/Guwahati

Assam's civil society has vehemently condemned the incidents of vandalism at Durga Puja pandals in Bangladesh. They have termed the development as the handiwork of anti-India and anti-Bangladesh forces

Assam shares 263 kilometres of border with Bangladesh out of which 144 km is land and 119 km riverine.

Eminent writer and academician Imran Hussain has told Awaz-the Voice that in the secular countries like India and Bangladesh there are always a sectom of liberal and fundamental forces that work on destabilising the country on communal lines and the latest incidents of vandalism in puja pandals in Bangladesh is one such act.

“It is good to see that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has promised strong action against those involved in provoking communal disturbances by putting the Holy Quran at the feet of a Hindu God in a Durga Puja Pandal at Comilla. India will definitely support the Bangladesh government’s action against fundamentalist and communal forces,” Hussain said.

Renowned surgeon and Padma Shri Dr Illias Ali said the Bangladesh government has provided a good amount for organizing Durga Puja and it’s a sign of the country’s commitment to upholding the ideal of secularism.

“Bangladesh shares a very cordial relationship with India. I have reasons to believe that the recent incidents are handiwork of forces to destabilize such bilateral relation,” Dr Ali said.
 
Noted lawyer and social activist Nekibur Zaman suspect that the motive behind the puja pandal vandalism was to prove that Bangladesh has become a communal country and Hindus are not safe.

Vice president of Industries and Trade Fair Association of Assam Rajesh Das who was behind bringing the first official business and trade delegation from Bangladesh to Assam, has termed the recent incident as a conspiracy hatched by a section of politically motivated and vested interest groups of the neighbouring country.

“I had been to Bangladesh several times in the recent past. I have seen how Muslims and Hindus live peacefully in the neighbouring country. A Muslim majority country, has been witnessing celebration of Durga puja with great fervour and joy for the past many years. My friends in Bangladesh have informed that nearly 30,000 puja pandals were erected this year. I cannot simply believe that the Bangladeshi citizens are anti-Hindus and Hindus living there are anti-Muslim. There are hidden agendas behind the latest incidents. India and Bangladesh must together foil the anti-social elements,” Das said.