Facing Attacks And Threats By Islamists, Durga Puja Organisers In Bangladesh Dial Down On Festivities

Durga puja, the biggest religious festival of Bengali Hindus, will be a bleak affair this year in Bangladesh. 

The vicious attacks on Hindus since the overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina regime on 5 August, desecration of temples and places of worship, and the forcible takeover of Hindus' houses and properties have left the over 130 lakh Hindus in the Muslim-majority country deeply traumatised.

To add to that, the country’s Islamists, who have become a powerful force, have been openly issuing threats and asking Hindus to desist from celebrating their religious festivals publicly.

Some radical outfits have also demanded that Bangladesh, being an Islamic nation, should ban Hindu festivals. 

Bangladesh’s interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus, which is widely perceived as being soft on Islamists, has failed to categorically turn down such demands and take action against the radicals for whipping up communal sentiments.

Not only that, the government has issued a diktat, asking community Durga pujas to stop beating drums, blowing conch shells, and ringing bells — all essential to a puja — during namaaz that’s held five times a day. 

The puja organisers have been asked to ensure that namaaz is “not disturbed” by sounds emanating from Durga puja pandals. The restrictions kick in five minutes before azaan (the call for prayers) and end after the namaaz is over. 

This is the first time since 1971 (when Bangladesh came into existence) that such restrictions have been imposed. Hindus of Bangladesh have interpreted these restrictions as proof that the interim government is encouraging Islamic fundamentalists and fundamentalism. 

Also, attacks on idols of goddess Durga and vandalising and desecrating puja mandaps that started a couple of weeks ago have only intensified in recent days. Though the interim government has assured of higher security, a deep sense of insecurity and foreboding has gripped the Hindu community. 

“Idols (of goddess Durga) have been broken in many parts of the country by Islamists. And despite assurances, the culprits have not been caught and punished. Also, people who attacked and killed Hindus, vandalised and looted our homes and shops, forced Hindu teachers in schools and colleges and in government jobs to resign, and abducted or raped our women folk are roaming around freely. This government has not taken any action against them, and that is why we are frightened and apprehensive,” a leader of the Hindu Mahajote in Dhaka told Swarajya.

This grim sentiment is why organisers of community Durga pujas have dialled down the festivities. 

Many puja organisers have decided to cancel celebrations. The number of community Durga pujas has come down significantly from 34,000 last year to about 28,000 this year. 

Durga puja organisers have reported receiving threats from Islamist organisations asking them to cancel the pujas. Such threats have been reported from many districts like Khulna, Rangpur, Jhinaidaha, Nilfamari, Jamalpur, Mymensingh, Barisal, Chandpur, Gazipur, Moulvibazar, Comilla, and Chittagong. 

In Khulna, for instance, organisers of several community Durga pujas have received letters from Muslim organisations asking for a ‘tax’ of Rs 5 lakh in exchange for ‘permission’ to hold the pujas.

This ‘tax’, say the organisers, is like the ‘jizya’ that used to be collected by Muslim rulers from Hindus. 

“The organisers who received such ‘tax’ notices have complained to the authorities, but no action has been taken against the Muslim organisations who have made such illegal demands. The authorities have assured the organisers of protection, but no one is taking such assurances seriously,” said the Hindu Mahajote leader. 

The receipt of such ‘tax’ notices and threats and the apparent inaction of the authorities have led to organisers of several Durga pujas in Jessore as well as some other districts to cancel the pujas. 

A Durga idol was damaged by Muslims at Kishoreganj town in Dhaka division in the early hours of 3 October. The organisers of the Gopinath Jiur Akhara Durga Puja in Kishoreganj, where the idol of goddess Durga was decapitated, have decided to hold only a ghot puja in protest. 

Litton Sarkar, president of a puja organising committee, said that they had shifted the puja, which used to be held in a public place, to the akhara this year, fearing attacks by Islamists. 

“But Muslim fundamentalists broke into the akhara and destroyed the idol of Ma Durga. We are scared and fear more attacks,” he told Swarajya. 

Narayan Dutta, president of the Kishoreganj district Durga Puja Celebration Committee, said that though the district authorities have assured action, Hindus are sceptical.

“Attacks on pujas and idols took place in the past as well, and every time, the authorities assured us of action but failed to nab and prosecute the culprits. So there is little faith in the authorities’ assurances. We are living in fear and in such circumstances,” said Dutta.

The unrelenting attacks on puja pandals and idols and the authorities’ failure to arrest and prosecute the radical Islamists behind such attacks have prompted Hindu organisations like the Mahajote to ask organisers of Durga pujas to go slow on the festivities.

“We have called on organisers of pujas where idols of goddess Durga have been destroyed not to repair the idols or place new idols. We’ve asked them to do only ghot puja (a puja of the water-filled kalash) in front of the destroyed or desecrated idols as a mark of protest,” said the Hindu mahajote functionary. 

Durga pujas in Bangladesh will, thus, be a bleak affair sans any festivities. And the blame for this shift rests on Yunus' shoulders.