Although some stray communal incidents against religious minority communities had continued in Bangladesh throughout the year 2022 as a result of the extra security measures taken by the government, the many religious festivals were celebrated without major violence. This point was highlighted in the 2022 International Religious Freedom Report of the United States.
US State Secretary Antony Blinken released the report, "2022 Report on International Religious Freedom," on Monday. It was prepared by the State Department in light of developments in 2022. Mentionable, the Religious Freedom Bill was passed in the US Congress in 1998. Since then, the United States Department of State has been publishing reports on the religious situation of different countries in the world every year. In the report, various issues related to the religious freedom of Bangladesh in more than 200 countries around the world have come up. Some countries have made progress on the issue of religious freedom, but much remains to be done to improve religious freedom around the world, the report said in the foreword.
In the Bangladesh chapter, the report said the government has taken several strong steps to prevent militancy. Government officials held meetings to ensure a safe celebration of the 2022 Durga Puja festival. The Home Ministry has announced the mandatory installation of closed-circuit cameras in all puja mandaps. Law enforcement officials have increased their vigilance and presence at temples in Dhaka, Comilla, and Chittagong to prevent violence. All these moves were welcomed by the religious minority leaders, as the report highlighted. However, along with this, the role of the High Court has been praised for maintaining religious neutrality.
Although the religious situation in Bangladesh has improved in the last year, persecution is still going on in some countries. At present, the world is in turmoil due to terrorism and ethnic conflicts. There is a white-black fight in America, a Shia-Sunni fight in Arab countries, and every country in Europe is at risk of terrorism. Minority Muslims are being exterminated in Myanmar due to ethnic conflict. In Bangladesh, some extremist organizations sometimes create an environment for attacks on minority communities by spreading rumours for political gain. In this situation, the State Department report rightly pointed out that social media had contributed to an increase in attacks on religious minorities in recent years. Misinformation frequently went viral and inflamed community tensions against religious minorities.
Freedom of religious belief is a common consensus in the international community. Religious harmony can be understood as peaceful coexistence among people of different religions. In Bangladesh, we are proud of our rich tradition of religious pluralism. Here, people of different ethnic and religious backgrounds have been living in peace and harmony with respect for religious pluralism.
Bangladesh is a multi-religious country where the Muslim population is officially estimated at around 90.5 percent, Hindus at 8.5 percent, followed by Buddhists (0.6 percent), Christians (0.3 percent), and others (0.1 percent). But people of all faiths have been celebrating many secular festivals together, such as Pahela Boishakh and Ekushey February. A rich culture of tolerance and respect among individuals regardless of beliefs and viewpoints makes this country a model of communal harmony.
The people of Bangladesh are religious, but they do not believe in religious fanaticism. Historically, religious tolerance and pluralism have been the traditional characteristics of the people of this region. Therefore, various international organizations, including powerful countries around the world, have at various times praised the Muslim majority for creating such a unique environment of communal harmony in this country. They called Bangladesh a 'moderate Muslim country' and a 'role model' of communal harmony.
William Hanna, head of the European Union delegation, said, 'Bangladesh's shining example of communal harmony is rare in the world. Historically, Bangladesh has been an advanced model of communal harmony. In this country, people of all faiths and religions enjoy full freedom to live side by side and practice their respective religions, maintaining peace and harmony. Australia's High Commissioner, H. E. Gray Will Cook, was impressed by the communal harmony of Bangladesh and said, Bangladesh is an excellent example of a nation having unflinching social and religious harmony. Last year, visiting US ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom Rashed Hussain highly lauded religious freedom and harmony in Bangladesh and appreciated the government's initiative to address challenges, saying that those who are trying to divide them and create complexities must be stopped.
However, although there is a long tradition of inter-religious harmony in Bangladesh, it does not mean that the conspiracy to destroy communal harmony and religious-ethnic conflicts did not happen. For a few years in between, the apolitical policies of some individuals and organizations have been trying to destroy these characteristics to damage the image of both Bangladesh and Islam. But there is hope that the prevailing Bengali tradition has rejected the attempt repeatedly with disdain. The untoward incidents that have been happening sporadically in recent times have been done for political and sometimes personal gain. There was no public participation in it.
Bangladesh has tried to uphold its religiously neutral nature since its inception. Regarding the practice of religion, Bangladesh believes that tolerance and coexistence are the best ways to stay away from religious conflicts. And so, in the mindset of the government, there is a positive attitude towards religious freedom and pluralism.
Although the Constitution and existing laws mention religious freedom, its full implementation is hampered by many factors. Sectarianism, religious extremism, and misuse of religion for political purposes are repeatedly creating obstacles to ending religious persecution. In this context, we must acknowledge that religious hatred or conflict cannot be eliminated by laws alone. We must all play our roles with sanctity and sensibility in protecting our fellow countrymen, irrespective of their religion and ethnic identies.
The writer is a researcher and strategic affairs analyst
