Preserving Religious Freedom

A Call to Action for Bangladesh

KOYESBNP.COM

Religion has always held a significant place in every Bangladeshi’s life. It shapes practices, values, and people’s very selves. But, oh, how the situation has worsened recently. With the Awami League in power, religious persecution has intensified which has cast an ominous silence over society.

Everyone is entitled to hold and express any belief without persecution, regardless of their ethnicity. No one should be at risk of gynocidal violence, including an attempted murder motivated by hatred or even forced conversion: Buddhists, Christians, or even Muslims. The fact that this exists is leaving people exasperated, deteriorating the overall situation.

Perhaps one of the most painful aspects of these lands is the unreserved violence against political dissent. Why is it that people think political violence should be dealt with impunity? These are questions we should be interrogating in detail. The people that can do so must not be scared of being violent themselves, or worse, killed. While it is not put so bluntly, this is the form of violence that firmly suffocates while Bangladesh, as a society, cannot progress to civility.

Fortunately, this matter is not totally forlorn. Indeed, there is power in unity and effective lobbying. We are capable of changing the scenario. We must press our leaders to respect, protect, and preserve the religious, secular, and multi- cultural essence of a Bangladesh that only seems to exist in speeches and cooked up documents.

In the end, this is not only about policies or politics, as it is about the life we desire to choose. A Bangladesh where people are not afraid to practice their religion or a country suffocated with fear and bigotry.

It is critical that we make our choice in time, and begin implementing it before it is too late. To the people of Bangladesh, let us position ourselves as proud citizens of the world and fully exercise our freedom of religion. This is not only about what is right, it is about progression towards a positive change.