By Rons Bantwal
Mumbai (RBI), Feb 6: Dr Abraham Mathai, founder-chairman, Harmony Foundation and former vice-chairman, Minorities Commission has strongly condemned the horrifying act of vandalism at the residence and memorial of Bangladesh’s founding father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. This was carried forth during a live online address of his daughter and Bangladesh’s deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina.
Dr Mathai stated that this barbaric attack is not just an act of political vengeance—it is an outright assault on the history and identity of Bangladesh itself. The destruction of a leader’s legacy, the very man who secured Bangladesh’s independence, is a disgraceful testament to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism that is systematically erasing the nation’s democratic foundations.
Dr Mathai stressed that the world cannot turn a blind eye to the growing extremism that has engulfed Bangladesh. The country since Sheikh Hasina’s government was overthrown, is now being consumed by radical forces that seek to rewrite history with violence, intimidation, and destruction. First, reports emerged of attacks on minority Hindus, with their places of worship vandalised and their representatives brutally targeted. Every passing day these radicals are causing chaos in the nation through violence and extremism.
“The targeting of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s legacy is an ominous warning: the forces of Islamic fundamentalism are not just erasing the past; they are shaping a dark and intolerant future. The repeated violation of this historical site, fueled by extremist propaganda, is not an isolated incident. It is part of a larger trend of increasing radicalization, suppression of dissent, and attacks on secular voices in Bangladesh. The international community must take a firm stand against this wave of fundamentalist aggression before it completely destabilizes the region”, Dr Mathai added.
Dr Mathai also recalled Dhaka’s Holey Artisan Bakery attack in 2016 by radical Islamists wherein Dr Zakir Naik was found to have influenced this attack. Given the rising tide of extremism in the nation, Dr Mathai further stated that it seems there will surely come a day very soon when Bangladesh will even give a red carpet welcome to Dr Zakir Naik, given the path of self-destruction Bangladesh has set itself on under the influence of Islamist fundamentalism.
Dr Mathai also reiterated his stand on the revocation of the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Muhammad Yunus, who is only a puppet giving in to the whims of such Islamic radical forces operating in the country.
Dr Mathai concluded by stating that he calls upon global institutions to take immediate and decisive action to prevent further destruction of historical landmarks and to safeguard the democratic and secular values upon which Bangladesh was founded. "The world must unite against this tide of extremism before history itself is rewritten in fire and blood. The people of Bangladesh deserve a future free from radicalism, where history is preserved, not obliterated, and where the sacrifices of their founding leaders are honored, not violated," he added.