By Arka Mondal
"The numbers tell the story – or at least part of it. After India's Partition, Hindus were almost a third of the East Pakistan population, according to Pakistan's 1951 census. When East Pakistan became Bangladesh in 1971, they were under a fifth; 30 years later less than a tenth; and according to reliable estimates, less than eight percent today. Throughout that time, there was a steady flow of reports on anti-Hindu atrocities there; atrocities that include religious desecration, land grabs, property destruction, beatings, forced conversion to Islam, child abduction, rape, and murder. Bangladeshi governments not only refused to prosecute the perpetrators, but also maintained openly discriminatory laws."- Dr Richard L Benkin
The minorities, especially the Hindus, in Bangladesh have been subjected to categorical atrocities since the country achieved Independence in 1971. The paradigm of ethnic cleansing is well portrayed in the havoc discrimination and slaughter against the Hindus. The relentless war crime like activities by a Bangladeshi quarter has led to the exodus of Hindus from the country. Hindu masses in the country are regularly subjected to horrific incidents of violence, hidden discrimination, violation of basic rights and encroachment of property rights.
The Sheikh Hasina led Awami League government that spring-boarded to power with alleged
backing from the then Congress government (UPA) of India does nothing to protect the Hindu masses that are gradually vanishing. The Hindu population which contributed 31 per cent of the total population in 1971 now stands at a meager 8 per cent. A biased Constitution with minimal provisions for the minorities along with the government's fathomless reluctance to address the issue have resulted in a dramatic decline in the Hindu population. Alike Pakistan, barbaric chapter of violence against Hindus was evident in Bangladesh following the infamous Babri Mosque incident. Bangladesh claims to be a secular country, but in reality it is a moderate Muslim country. However, this in no way ensures equal existence for all or eclipses the society's hostile attitude towards Hindus.
Frequent vandalizing of Hindu shrines and temples (reportedly by Jamaat-e-Islami cadres), rampant land grabbing (by Awami League backed mafias) and harassment of Hindu women folk point to the fact that Bangladesh has failed miserably to recover from the hangover of the Pakistani influence. The country seems to overlook the fact that a Hindu-major neighbor literally single-handedly liberated it from the clutches of a tyrannical regime. These facets have largely contributed to the waning Hindu population in Bangladesh.