Pakistani spy agency Inter-Service Intelligence [ISI] is believed to
be mastermind behind pre-planned attack on the Buddhist monasteries in
Bangladesh. Extremist Muslims and some unidentified people, who are
believed to be Rohingyas from the neighboring Myanmar vandalised and set
on fire Buddhist monasteries on September 30, 2012 on hearing of a
Facebook post desecrating the Qur'an, which was tagged on the wall of a
Buddhist youth by someone else. Within 24 hours of this notoriety, a
fresh spate of sectarian violence, two more Buddhist monasteries were
burnt down in the same locality. In Patiya of Chittagong, more than 500
workers of Western Marine set on fire two Buddhist temples, Kalagaon
Ratnankur Bouddha Bihar and Lakhera Abhoy Bouddha Bihar, and a Hindu
temple, Kalagaon Nabarun Sangha Durgabari after midnight past September
30. The total number of damaged temples in Cox's Bazar and Chittagong
now stands at 22.
According to information, agents and operatives of ISI became
extremely active for past few months within the Chittagong Hill Tract
areas under the garb of non governmental organizations. They have been
giving provocations to the Muslim population in that area of "conspiracy
of vested quarters" of evicting them [Bangla speaking people] from
Chittagong Hill Tract areas with the help of the ruling party. They were
even instigated of waging secret war against the religious minority
groups in the locality, compelling them to migrate to India or Myanmar.
Pakistani intelligence agency has been working under various disguise
inside Bangladesh. Since March this year, ISI operatives in the country
are ex-armed cadres of now defunct Freedom Party. It may be mentioned
here that, Freedom Party was formed by the self-proclaimed killers of
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman following his brutal assassination in
1975. Founders of this so-called political party received millions of
dollars from Libya's former dictator Muammar Al Gaddafi. Freedom Party
was recruiting armed cadres from across Bangladesh with the ulterior
motive of staging another bloody coup in the country. The armed gangs of
Freedom Party made several assassination attempts on Sheikh Hasina and
members of her family. But, since few of the kingpins of Freedom Party
were hanged to death in 2011, most of its armed cadres went either into
hiding or joined local crime rackets. The armed cadres of the party had
been given guerrilla warfare training in Libya and Palestine which was
financed by Gaddafi and the Pakistani spy agency.
During the tenure of Bangladesh Nationalist Party [BNP] led coalition
government [2001-2006], ISI were actively funding anti Ahmadiya
activities in Bangladesh, which were also silently witnessed by the
ruling party. The anti-Ahmadiya groups continued to attack and demolish
mosques of the Ahmadiya Muslim Jamaat as well continue numerous forms of
atrocities on this religious minority group in Bangladesh. It may be
mentioned here that, under Pakistani law, Ahmadiyas are not considered
as Muslims, while Bangladesh has never ceased the rights of Ahmadiyas to
be considered as Muslims.
It is even rumored that the August 21, 2004 grenade attack of
Bangladesh Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina was originally plotted by
the Pakistani spy agency, which later was implemented by some of the
influential figures in the BNP led coalitions government. In some of
secret meetings to finalize the August 21 attack, station chief of ISI
in Bangladesh or some deep-covered officials were present.
When Bangladesh Awami League led coalition government came in power
in 2009, activities of Inter-Service Intelligence got significantly
tamed as the government was committed working in combating Islamist
militancy and religious extremism.
ISI activities inside Bangladesh were significantly increased in the
recent months with the ulterior motive of putting the ruling party into
huge crisis both domestically and internationally. Its operations in
Bangladesh are divided into several segments namely propaganda,
information gathering, recruitment, guerrilla training and offensives.
Its propaganda plans are implemented by some of the big fishes in a
vernacular daily while a self-proclaimed ex operative of Bangladesh's
intelligence, who now works for the Pakistani spy agency is coordinating
media war against the ruling government in Bangladesh.
It may be mentioned here that, since independence of Bangladesh, this
is for the first time; the peace-loving Buddhist population in the
country has become victim of such nefarious brutality and barbaric acts.
Pakistani ISI has been actively involved in illegal trafficking of
drugs, arms and counterfeit Indian currency into various destinations in
India by using Bangladeshi territory as transit. It is confirmed by
dependable sources that, currently ISI is operating at least 50 business
establishments inside Bangladesh.
Giving strong reaction at the recent atrocities on the Buddhist and
Hindu populations in Chittagong Hill Tract, advocate Gobinda Chandra
Pramanik, secretary general of Bangladesh Jatio Hindu Mohajote
[Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance] said, "the government needs
to give exemplary punishment to the perpetrators and their masterminds.
This is the most unfortunate situation for the religious minorities in
the country."
He said, "We strongly condemn such barbaric actions and equally
demand stern action against the members of the law enforcing agencies,
who silently witnesses such massacre on the monasteries and temples."
Gobinda Chandra Pramanik said, "We believe there is some hands of
foreign elements behind such notoriety and the government should
properly investigate and identify the culprits for the sake of image of
the country."
Commenting on such heinous crime, leading English language newspaper
The Daily Star in editorial comment said, "What happened in Ramu and
some other areas in Chittagong must be condemned in the strongest
possible terms. The outrage that was created by people burning down
Buddhist temples and houses belies the long tradition of harmonious and
peaceful coexistence between people of various creeds in Bangladesh.
Religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence are not only an article of
our people it is also enshrined in the Constitution of Bangladesh.
"The regrettable incident has struck at the very ethos and the
underlying essence of our long religio-cultural tradition. Whatever may
have been the causative factor, the violent reaction seems to have been
very well orchestrated. We believe that those who believe in the
fundamental message of Islam would have exercised more temperance in
addressing an issue centering on an anti-Islam picture on Facebook."
Some of the eminent columnists in Bangladesh are already predicting
'monster' behind such notoriety on the Buddhist and Hindu temples in the
Chittagong Hill Tract areas.
Columnist Syed Mansur Hashim wrote: "The outrage that some
unidentified trouble-mongers committed against Buddhist communities at
Teknaf, Ramu and Ukhia upazilas on the nights of Saturday and Sunday has
shocked the entire nation. Clearly, the perpetrators have tried to
besmear Bangladesh's image as a nation of religious tolerance and
harmony. The way Buddhist temples have been damaged and desecrated and
houses of Budhist villagers have been ransacked and set ablaze speaks
volumes for the monsters behind the mayhem."
He wrote, "The mob violence that engulfed Buddhist villages saw
widespread looting and the gutting of religious relics and monasteries.
With some of the most revered Buddhist temples in ashes, including the
250-year-old Shima Bihar in Ramu, communal harmony between Buddhists and
Muslims is effectively in tatters. The attacks were an attack on
harmony and on peaceful coexistence. But given recent events,
particularly the worldwide backlash of Muslims against a film made in
California mocking the Prophet Mohammad, religious sentiments had
already been heightened and subversive elements have taken advantage of
the situation to incite communal violence."
English language daily The New Age in its editorial comment wrote,
"While it is absolutely unacceptable in a democratic political and
cultural dispensation to have the minority communities, religious or
ethnic or otherwise, assailed by the majority ones, a section of the
majority Muslim community resorted to rampant attacks on Buddhist
monasteries, Hindu temples and households in Ramu of Cox's Bazar on
Saturday midnight and Sunday."
