Bangladesh must not become Pakistan, Madam Sheikh Hasina

The restaurant siege has ended with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina praising the police for its hard work.  20 out of 35 hostages and 2 officers have been killed after a 10-hour standoff at the location.  6 attackers have been killed while one has been arrested at the Holey Artisan Bakery.

At the press conference, Sheikh Hasina wondered “What kind of humans are these, who are killing other humans during Ramzan?”

The humans she is talking about are the radicalized citizens of her own country, which she obviously did not mention due to her stature as the politically correct PM.

But Sheikh Hasina, instead of wasting time on the need of expressing outrage in the most politically correct terms, should rather crack down on home-grown terrorism and stop the further sink of Bangladesh into terrorism.

Blaming outside factors would do no good, acting against local radical preachers who are targeting the minorities and making them feel as sub-humans and unwanted in the nation is what she needs to address now.

There are cases where her own partymen have been found to be involved in the cases of persecution against minority Christians, Atheists, Buddhists and Hindus much like on the lines of Pakistan.

Bangladesh needs to decide whether it wants to actually become a failed state like Pakistan or it really wants to become an aspiring nation aiming to reach newer heights.

What Sheikh Hasina must realize is that tolerance of intolerance will lead to further radicalization, and further radicalization will lead to more such attacks. If it is the minorities today, then it will be the majority tomorrow.

The action that Sheikh Hasina needs to take to stop the footprints of ISIS begins with the protection of minority groups. Standing by them will send a message to radical forces that Bangladesh will not become Pakistan, at any cost. The world looks to Bangladesh, especially Sheikh Hasina, with much hope. Another Pakistan in the subcontinent is the worst thing that could happen to the world at present.

Also, the radicalization of the youth of Bangladesh is against the very idea of the nation whose founding fathers dreamt of a prosperous nation on the lines of a secular state which would respect all without discrimination.

If the dream of the great men and women of Bangladesh is defeated at the altar of political correctness then it is the defeat of the entire humanity which wanted a stable, secular and a prosperous Bangladesh.