Editorial
A growing hiatus in society
A trend we should guard against
POLARISATION in the society is increasingly becoming a cause for concern. It began with the media and social media campaign against members and especially bloggers involved in the Shahbagh movement demanding maximum punishment for the war criminals and banning of Jamaat-e-Islami, leading to the death of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider in February and, more recently, the attempted murder of blogger Asif Mohiuddin. It has now evolved into outright terrorism and violence. Attacks on minority communities around the country have been shocking and deplorable, to say the least. The recent attacks on the police, the arrest of the Islami Chhatra Shibir president for his alleged involvement in them, the calling of a nationwide hartal first by Shibir and then endorsed by the BNP-led 18-party alliance protesting the arrest, all threaten civic peace. Just as brutal attack against the police is reprehensible so is the excessive use of force by law enforcers.
Now, four Islamist parties led by Hefajat-e-Islam have announced a long march, again, supported by the BNP and Jatiya Party -- the latter a member of the ruling alliance -- in what is feared to be yet another attempt to cash in on people's religious sentiments.
Threats, intimidation and violence are not the language of politics. Neither are they the ideals of the religion which the abovementioned groups claim to uphold. While insults to any religion will not be tolerated, the government must be careful not to encourage intolerance. Rather, it should be concerned about the violence taking place in the name of religion which has become a serious threat to public order and come up with ways to counter it effectively.
We are divided enough as a nation politically without adding religion to the mix, which can never fare well, especially when the concoction is for purposes of gaining and abusing power. It is important that we draw the correct divide between personal belief and emotion and national politics -- not between the people.
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