Category: Difference

Difference2 Comments

Multiculturalism in Bangladesh: where our political and intellectual debates end

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By Fardin Hasin for Alal O Dulal

The intellectual and political circles of Bangladesh have, for a long time, based their ideas and actions on or around a monolithic image of Bangladesh. Most discussions and debates have considered our ‘Bangalee’ identity as a constant, and the history of ‘Bangalees’ as linear; the other side of the story, as seen by much of the right-wing intelligentsia, seems to focus solely on our identity and history as ‘Muslims’. Both sides have a point, but we are all missing a greater part of the picture, that is, a country cannot progress in peace if it chooses to reduce all its citizens into a singular identity. Continue reading “Multiculturalism in Bangladesh: where our political and intellectual debates end”

Difference3 Comments

Reflections on the Idea of Race

Prashanta Tripura
Black Lives Matter Protest, NYC, Nov 2014, Wikimedia Image
Black Lives Matter Protest, NYC, Nov 2014, Wikimedia Image

By Prashanta Tripura for AlalODulal.org

Baltimore is the latest flashpoint involving massive protests and outbreaks of violence in response to police brutality against Black youths in the US.  Not too long ago, similar turns of events unfolded in other American cities as well, e.g. in Ferguson, Missouri.  Continue reading “Reflections on the Idea of Race”

Difference, History, Nationalism3 Comments

The Killings at Bangladesh’s ‘Bihari Camp’ – Murder Mystery or Murder with Impunity?

Nadine Shaanta Murshid


The Killings at Bangladesh’s Bihari Camp – Murder Mystery or Murder with Impunity?

By Nadine Shaanta Murshid

There are multiple stories. We are either to believe one of them or cast aside the whole incident as an accident. The stories are important to note, however, given that each story has a different set of perpetrators and actors, as well as a different motive behind the killings. What remains unchanged in all these stories is this: 10 Urdu-speaking non-Bengali Bangladeshi citizens who live in ‘Kalshi’ were killed, 8 of the deceased are from the same family. Continue reading “The Killings at Bangladesh’s ‘Bihari Camp’ – Murder Mystery or Murder with Impunity?”

Difference1 Comment

Touching The Untouchables 

tokai

The politics involving various minority groups have become a veritable concern. Well-meaning views, dialogues, and inceptions of new laws are very important. Yet, unless and until the complacent ‘majority’ makes a conscious effort, even causes an outcry to promote and protect their ‘minority’ siblings’ rights, real change is very hard to imagine. For their society to be ‘vaguely equal’, the ‘majority’ has to come out defending the rights of ‘minority’ protesting, condemning, and help in prosecuting the perpetrators of all forms of discrimination. The country’s proposed Anti-Discrimination law, hopefully would provide impetus for such collective actions.

Continue reading “Touching The Untouchables ”

Difference, Religion9 Comments

Is this the Bangladesh we wanted? Analyzing the Hindu Population Gap (2001-2011)

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Is this the Bangladesh we wanted?
Analyzing the Hindu Population Gap (2001-2011)

In October 2012, Prothom Alo published a frightening report that stated, in plain words, that over the last decade (which spans BNP,  AL, and Military “CTG” government), the Hindu population of Bangladesh has dropped dramatically and continuously. Continue reading “Is this the Bangladesh we wanted? Analyzing the Hindu Population Gap (2001-2011)”

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Eternal Othering and Presentation of Communalism on the World Stage

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by Nasrin Khandoker, translated by Hana Shams Ahmed for Alal O Dulal

“We need to get a grasp of which edge of the crater in the global imperialist politico-economic map we are situated, how and in what name we exist there. Who is constructed and presented in what role in the world theatre of Islamophobia. Continue reading “Eternal Othering and Presentation of Communalism on the World Stage”

Difference, Religion1 Comment

Partha Sarker: Communalism – Perceptions, Experiences, and Lessons Learned

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সাম্প্রদায়িকতা সমাচার: আমার জানা, বোঝা আর শেখার গল্প

by Partha Sarker for Alalodulal

আলোচনার জটিলতা

সাম্প্রদায়িকতা’র বিষয়গুলো নিয়ে আলোচনা একটু জটিল। দুটো কারণে:

এক: এই বিষয় নিয়ে একটা নির্মোহ আলোচনা করার জন্য যে দূরত্বের দরকার হয়, সেটা আমার মতো একজন মানুষের পক্ষে অর্জন করা সব-সময় খুব সহজ হয় না।   Continue reading “Partha Sarker: Communalism – Perceptions, Experiences, and Lessons Learned”

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Bleeding Badly

tokai
Members of the Hindu community returning to Obhoynagar, Jessore. Many of their homes were gutted and looted by Jamaat-Shibir activists right after the national polls. Photo source: Dhaka Tribune.
Members of the Hindu community returning to Obhoynagar, Jessore. Photo source: Dhaka Tribune.

“But given recent violent incidents – in Ramu, in Sathiya, in Thakurgaon, in Gaibundah, in Dinajpur, in Rangpur, in Bogra, in Lalmonirhat, in Rajshahi, in Jessore, in Chittagong and in the Chittagong Hill Tracts – the AL government and state law enforcement agencies cannot palm-off responsibilities to the opposition for failing to protect minority citizens (just as they cannot merely shift responsibilities, for the ongoing violence and loss of lives, to opposition activities alone, specially when that is exactly how they reacted during their term in opposition).”
Continue reading “Bleeding Badly”

Difference, Religion8 Comments

The Statistical Future of Bangladeshi Hindus

Dipen Bhattacharya


The Statistical Future of Bangladeshi Hindus

by Dipen Bhattacharya for AlalODulal.org

In 2051, the Hindu population could fall to the level of 1974.

One thing that every Bangladeshi possibly knows is that the Hindu population as a percentage of the total is shrinking monotonically. This is the legacy of the partition of India in 1947 and then the failure of the state apparatus to safeguard the rights of the religious minorities. Continue reading “The Statistical Future of Bangladeshi Hindus”

Difference, Religion1 Comment

Timothy Khyang: What about my right to celebrate Christmas?

Trimita

Timothy Khyang: What about my right to celebrate Christmas?

Translated by Trimita Chakma for AlalODual.org

Three years ago from today in 2010, the 47th batch of MBA was sitting for the final exams at UITS’s (University of Information Technology and Sciences) campus in Chittagong. Out of the 45 students two of us were Christians, Alex Leo Kraolie and I. The exam schedule was published one week before the exams and I noticed that there was an exam on 25th December, on Christmas Day. Continue reading “Timothy Khyang: What about my right to celebrate Christmas?”

Difference, Religion7 Comments

Ahmed Shamim & Faruk Wasif: Debating “The Hindu Question” through Marx and Bauer

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Debating “The Hindu Question” through Karl Marx’s “On The Jewish Question”
Ahmed Shamim debates Faruk Wasif, translated by Irfan Chowdhury for Alal O Dulal
Nipu Sheel wails sitting on the debris of her house that was set ablaze by Jamaat-Shibir men at Banshkhali in Chittagong. The religious fanatics looted and torched houses and temples of the Hindus in the district on Thursday, following the death sentence to Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee. Photo: Anurup Kanti Das
Nipu Sheel at Banshkhali. Photo: Anurup Kanti Das

PART 1: Ahmed Shamim “On the Hindu Question” (after Karl Marx)
Islam is encircled in peace. Its three core phonemes are: seen, laam, meem – which mean peace. Aslam means to surrender (oneself) to peace – Continue reading “Ahmed Shamim & Faruk Wasif: Debating “The Hindu Question” through Marx and Bauer”

Difference14 Comments

Acceptance of Lesbian Love: Too Much to Expect?

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Acceptance of Lesbian Love: Too Much to Expect?
By Syeda Samara Mortada for AlalODulal.org

Seema is a twenty something year old girl who is not sexually attracted to the opposite sex. When she finally understood this “problem” patent in her, she decided to keep it to herself. Since then, Seema has found many like-minded people around her, but whatever happens between them remains behind shut doors. ‘Living in Bangladesh as a lesbian is like living in hell’, says Seema.

Continue reading “Acceptance of Lesbian Love: Too Much to Expect?”

Difference2 Comments

Siddhartha Mitter: The Cartography of Bullshit

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“This week, Fisher proposed to his readers what he titled “A fascinating map of the world’s most and least racially tolerant countries.” The deepest-red, or most racially intolerant, countries were India, Bangladesh and Jordan. Russia and China fell in the middle; much of Africa was left out for lack of data, but South Africa came out light blue (highly tolerant), and Nigeria light red (highly intolerant). Other highly tolerant countries included Pakistan and Belarus.” Continue reading “Siddhartha Mitter: The Cartography of Bullshit”

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Pramila Das: Even when they mourn, they mourn from the margin

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Her husband, Shomlal Das quietly preparing for her cremation. They forgot to bring sindhoor. She is a married dead. She must wear sindhoor, someone from the small crowd whispered. They opened the bodybag. Part of her face was smashed, there was barely any hairline. Shomlal sprinkled sindhoor on her face... He pauses and sighs, “the government officer just treat every dead as muslim.”
Continue reading “Pramila Das: Even when they mourn, they mourn from the margin”

Difference, Garments7 Comments

Rana Plaza built on land grabbed from Rabindranath Sarkar

tibraali

“Journalist brother. You are a Hindu, I am a Hindu. Please don’t do any more harm to me. You know, how Hindus have to live in this country. Rana Plaza collapsed on top of my house and office. Four of my staff and three of my house help died. After the accident, goods were looted from my house. I can’t even go into my own house.” Continue reading “Rana Plaza built on land grabbed from Rabindranath Sarkar”

Difference, Migration5 Comments

Hate Crimes after Boston: Bangladeshi network engineer becomes “fucking Arab”

khujeci
Abdullah Faruque
Abdullah Faruque

As Faruque, a Bangladeshi-origin network engineer, turned to return to his meal, one of the other men said: “Yeah, he’s a f–king Arab,” leading to a brutal pummeling that dislocated Faruque’s left shoulder and left him semiconscious. Continue reading “Hate Crimes after Boston: Bangladeshi network engineer becomes “fucking Arab””

Difference, Religion6 Comments

If you come to kill, I will say, I too am Hindu

farukwasif2

If you come to kill, I will say, I too am Hindu, I too am Minority, the land that is burning is my country
by Faruk Wasif, translated from Bengali by AlalODulal.org

When the Tamil massacres were happening, we came to shahbag with slogans “we are all Tamil.” When the Rohingya massacres happened, we protested that too. We protested killings in Iraq, we said we were Kashmiri when youth were being killed in Kashmir. Bu what about today?
Continue reading “If you come to kill, I will say, I too am Hindu”

Difference, Religion7 Comments

“Goodbye Bangladesh”

naeem

With all its flaws, Taslima Nasreen’s Lajja (1993) diagnosed the crisis at the heart of Bangladeshi identity. On the last page, after a week of violent communal riots, the Bengali Hindu family is finally defeated…“Shudhamoy was walking while leaning on Kiranmayee’s shoulder. Gradually the strength was coming back to his body. Kiranmayee held on to Shudhamoy with both hands.

Continue reading ““Goodbye Bangladesh””

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Ramu violence: A fanoosh is not a balloon

hanashams

Translator’s note: Young Bangladeshi Buddhist monk Pragyananda Bhikkhu, of Ramu Shima Bihar, wrote “Ramu Shohingshota: Fanoosh kono balloon noy”, which was published in Dainik Cox’s Bazar, November 4, 2012 in light of the controversy created over setting afloatfanooshes as part of the celebration of Prabarana Purnima, the second largest Buddhist religious festival; to be noted, this year’s date coincided with the monthly anniversary of the communal attacks  of September 29, 2012, which destroyed innumerable Buddhist monasteries, temples and homes, allegedly caused by an offensive photograph discovered in the facebook account of Uttam Kumar Barua, a Bengali Buddhist youth, several hours before the attacks occurred. According to press reports, the attacks were visibly incited by local leaders and members of the ruling Awami League (AL), the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Jamaat-e-Islami; the attackers included those belonging to these political parties, and also, other Muslims, both local inhabitants and outsiders. News reports have highlighted the “inaction” of police officials and the local-level administration. Both ruling AL and the opposition BNP agree that these attacks were “planned” and pre-meditated.

The fanoosh controversy, as Pragyananda clearly explains, was the result of administrative interference in religious ceremonies and rituals; the Buddhists of Ramu had decided not to  observe their rites of virtue this year as they were “heartbroken” and grieving over their losses. Continue reading “Ramu violence: A fanoosh is not a balloon”

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I am a Buddhist today

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I am a Buddhist today
by Kazi Khaleed Ashraf

Cowards come in two forms, those who move under the cover of the night, and those who take refuge in the brute might of the mob. And when the two combine, cowards can become hyenas. Since that dreadful night, when for six shameful hours, the state remained invisible, protectors stood by quietly, neighbors became fiends, and only few were brave to face the hyenas, I can no longer be myself.
Continue reading “I am a Buddhist today”

Difference, Indigenous13 Comments

Sathi Chakma: After Rangamati, Questions that need to be answered

muktasree

Questions that need to be answered
by Muktasree Sathi Chakma (Sep 24, 2012)

While my 68 years old father and my 65 years old mother remained awake for the last two days in fear that some of the Bengali settlers (who can kill people only for the reason that you are indigenous) would attack our house, I am attending a Human Rights training and learning how to be a human rights activist. What an irony, isn’t it?
Continue reading “Sathi Chakma: After Rangamati, Questions that need to be answered”