Bangladesh is experiencing a period of instability after the removal of the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina. This transition has created opportunities for Islamist extremists and Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to exploit power vacuums. A report from Bangladeshi weekly ‘Blitz’ highlighted the ISI’s use of religious identity to sow unrest in the region.
The report pointed out a concerning trend of serial killings targeting Hindu citizens across various districts in Bangladesh. These acts of violence are seen not just as law enforcement failures but as direct attacks on the country’s moral foundation established during the 1971 Liberation War against Pakistan. The orchestrated nature of these violent incidents, including lynching, shootings, and arson, suggests a deliberate campaign of terror orchestrated by groups with ties to the ISI and local political Islamist parties.
It was emphasized that Bangladesh’s roots are in a struggle against Pakistani authoritarianism and religious majoritarianism, rather than a Muslim theocracy. The report highlighted the historical unity between Hindus and Muslims during the Liberation War, underscoring that attacks on Hindus today are an attempt to reignite a conflict that Pakistan lost on the battlefield but has not abandoned ideologically.
The recent killings, though geographically scattered, are linked by ideology. They are not isolated crimes but deliberate acts of intimidation aimed at instilling fear in the Hindu community. The report also noted that Pakistan’s animosity towards Bangladesh has persisted beyond 1971, manifesting in various forms such as support for radical groups and disinformation campaigns to destabilize Bangladesh’s internal harmony and strategic autonomy.
