Is Sheikh Hasina warming up to religious extremists in Bangladesh?
Bangladesh watchers were euphoric after the much hyped and publicised India visit (April 7-10) of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, raising perhaps misplaced hopes that she would strengthen her secular bona fides after return from India.
Secular forces in Bangladesh were, however, deeply disappointed by Hasina's recent statements which can easily be seen as gestures by her as warming up to Islamic hardliners, clearly departing from her secular stance.
The whole issue emanated from a statue of a Greek goddess, Themis (goddess of justice), installed inside the Supreme Court in Dhaka becoming an eyesore for Islamic hardliners, who went on a campaign spree demanding removal of the idol as it wore a saree, which is considered opposed to the tenets of Islam.
Such a vitriolic campaign was spearheaded by none other than Hefazat-e-Islam, an Islamic hardline outfit, which has registered robust growth, contributing to reinforcing of fundamentalism in the country.
Hasina's body language suggested she was warming up to the zealots, and it is more than a coincidence that the gestures became apparent within 48 hours of her return from India.
The progressives in Bangladesh had earlier thought that other than inking numerous bilateral treaties, the Indian polity must have subtly put across to Hasina the need to be more firm in dealing with extremists constantly perpetrating excesses on the nation's minorities, foreigners and liberals.
On April 11, while addressing Supreme Court judges in Dhaka, Hasina, contrary to her secular stand, said: "I don't like it myself and how did a Greek statue reach here?"
The statement shocked many and the secular and forward-thinking lobbies in Bangladesh are crestfallen by her words. The seculars apprehend that, emboldened by her "pro-Islamic" rhetoric, anti-liberation forces may start demanding removal of statues and memorials erected in the memory of the 1971 liberation war.
Prominent crusader of secularism in Bangladesh Shahriar Kabir has already criticised Hasina for what he described as a U-turn. Elaborating on the development, noted liberal litterateur Taslima Nasreen questioned the hardliners that "it's Greece and only Greece which has given civilisation and the statue is a symbol of Greek culture and civilisation, reminding us to remain cultured, but any move to remove the statue would be a regressive step".
Hasina does not stop here. On a different occasion, but in the same vein, she stated that her government would soon start recognising degrees obtained from hardline madrasas, thus paving the way for millions of religious scholars to qualify for jobs in the public and private sector.
If implemented (it looks very likely) in the not so distant future, Bangladesh may have theocratic elements embedded in all walks of life. And precisely because of this, seculars appear alarmed and apprehend that Hasina is trying to reach out to the hardliners to befriend them and keep them on her right side, as the dates of the next general elections draw to a close.
Even if we assume such gestures are for electoral reasons, Hasina should keep an exit route open. The radicals won't let her escape without fulfilling her promises. Jamat-e-Islami is banned but its cadres are around following the party ideology in letter and in spirit.
Both Jamat and Hefazat-e-Islam may have different names but they remain steadfastly united in pursuit of their goals to make Bangladesh an Islamic state. Politically and diplomatically, therefore, Hasina should be astute enough to wean one away from the other, lest her own political existence is not imperilled.
Hasina will play with fire if she continues to come closer to Hefazat-e-Islam. The latter has shown tremendous rise within seven years. Its cadres have increased manifold. Its agenda is loud and clear. It wants enactment of blasphemy laws, including banning of Ahmediyas as an Islamic sect. Its 13-point charter still holds good and it had already demonstrated its scheme of things in 2013 through a long march exposing its strength in drawing more popular support.
One should not forget that such outfits are linked to terror and Bangladesh is already under the ISIS scanner and witnessed a series of terror attacks full of devastation. Many youth stand radicalised and we don't know how many are fighting with the ISIS rank and file.
After the collapse of the ISIS, the cadres will be back in Bangladesh, adding muscle to the ultras. The most dreaded home-grown terror outfit JMB took off with cadres who had participated in the Taliban-led war in Afghanistan. That's a lesson to be borne in mind.
There is the need to caution those at helm in Dhaka to exercise discretion and keep bodies like Hefazat-e-Islam at a distance, so that a nexus between the Prime Minister and her party does not take place in the interest of peace and stability in the region.