After bloody clashes between students in the capital – with more than 100 injured – St. Gregory’s High School & College was forced to interrupt classes due to the damage caused. Director P. Ribeiro: “A premeditated attack.” The army restored order. Meanwhile, Chinmoy Krishna Das, a Hindu leader, was arrested for “sedition” at the airport. The NGO of religious minorities: “Unprecedented violence.”
Dhaka () – St. Gregory’s High School & College, a historic Catholic institution in Dhaka founded in 1882 and located in the old city, closed its doors indefinitely after the damage caused during the violence that involved thousands of students in in recent days and which have left at least a hundred injured and a large number of buildings destroyed. And yesterday afternoon, at the capital’s airport, a leader of the Hindu minority, the religious Chinmoy Krishna Das of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), was arrested for “sedition.”
Two episodes that demonstrate that in more than one hundred days of Muhammad Yunus’ interim government, a growing Islamist drift has not been stopped, which continues to attack minorities despite several attempts at reform. The Nobel laureate who has taken charge of the country to prepare for democratic elections – which are long in coming – is dashing the hopes of those who thought that the flight of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after 15 years in power would allow Bangladesh to give really turn the page and build a country without discrimination and inclusive for the entire society.
On November 24, around five p.m., St. Gregory’s High School & College was attacked by a crowd of more than 500 unidentified people. The attackers broke the security fence and injured two guards, Nazmul Haque and Suman Gomes, who had to be hospitalized. The crowd vandalized classrooms, broke window panes, destroyed documents and damaged closed-circuit television cameras, even using explosives. The director, Brother Plácido Pietro Ribeiro, expressed his dismay at the destruction. “It was a premeditated attack,” he declared. He praised the quick intervention of teachers, students and law enforcement who managed to control the situation. And he called for patience and collaboration, urging all interested parties to avoid violence.
“Restoration work has already begun, including cleaning and repairing damage. This work is urgent and takes time. “Our goal is to resume normal school activities as soon as the facilities are completely in order and safe for students and staff,” the director added.
The attack followed a bloody dispute that broke out a few days earlier between students of Dr. Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College and those of the Shaheed Suhrawardy and Kabi Nazrul government colleges, which sparked an escalation of violence in Dhaka. Clashes escalated on November 25 and took place in and around Mollah College, when more than 20,000 students clashed for more than four hours, according to witnesses. College authorities also reported thefts during the riots. Army and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) units were deployed to restore order. Although rumors circulated of three dead students, the police denied that there were any fatalities.
The unrest began on November 18 following the death of Mollah College student Abhijit Howlader at the National Medical College Hospital. Accusing the staff of medical negligence, students of the institution organized a protest called “Super Sunday” on November 24, during which they vandalized the hospital and the nearby Suhrawardy College. The incident disrupted the exams being taken by Nazrul’s first-year students at Suhrawardy. In revenge, on November 25, the students of Suhrawardy and Nazrul organized the “Mega Monday” counter-protest. In the wave of violence, they also attacked St. Gregory’s High School & College, a historic educational institution in Dhaka founded in 1882 by American missionaries.
Regarding the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) issued a statement from India calling it “disturbing” news and calling for his immediate release. “It is outrageous to make unfounded accusations that ISKCON has anything to do with terrorism anywhere in the world,” he said. The society also said it “urges the government of India to take immediate action, talk to the government of Bangladesh and communicate that we are a peace-loving movement.” Bangladesh police confirmed the arrest, stating that they had acted on the basis of a specific complaint.
In Dhaka, many protesters took to the streets and gathered at the Cheraghi intersection, chanting slogans and calling for Das’ release. Several videos that went viral on social media late yesterday showed police charges. “Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari has been charged with sedition for leading a mass rally of Hindus protesting against hate attacks and demanding protection from Islamists,” said Kanchan Gupta, India’s information minister.
The Hindu community has repeatedly reported incidents of vandalism, looting, arson, land grabs and threats to leave the country since August 8, the inauguration day of the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus. The Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council had already sent an “open letter” to Yunus, expressing “deep pain and concern” over the “unprecedented violence” of a certain group against minorities.
Although Yunus and his advisor for religious affairs, AFM Khalid Hossain, have assured that the current government believes in inter-communal harmony, the attacks continue to cause widespread fear, anxiety and uncertainty among Bangladesh’s minorities, especially Hindus.
(With the collaboration of Nirmala Carvalho)
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