THIRTEEN years after the mob attacks on Buddhist temples and houses at Ramu in Cox鈥檚 Bazar, Bangladesh continues to witness mob violence and sectarian attacks that follow the same grim pattern. The assault at Guimara in Khagrachari, which left at least three young ethnic minority people dead, has been aptly described by rights activists as a continuation of the violence that began in 2012. Mobs, incited by false allegations spread on social media, that time burnt 13 temples at Ramu, four at Patiya and two at Ukhiya and more than 50 houses. Investigations launched that time have never reached any conclusion. The accused, many of them with political connections, walked free. The absence of justice created a ground for repetition. After the Ramu event, the then government swiftly mobilised the army and border guards to rebuild temples and houses. Yet, the more essential work of rebuilding trust, ensuring accountability and justice and dismantling entrenched impunity was left unaddressed. The reconstructed pagodas stand as monuments to resilience, but their walls cannot shield a community from the recurrence of violence when perpetrators remain at large.
The latest Khagrachari event is cloaked in dangerous narratives. Then, the violence was dismissed as a conspiracy against the war crimes tribunal. Now, the interim government鈥檚 home affairs adviser has irresponsibly attributed the killings to 鈥業ndian designs鈥� and the fallen Awami League. Such deflection without the weight of a thorough investigation is reckless. It trivialises the lived experiences of minority communities and emboldens those who commit violence under the cover of majoritarian solidarity. What emerges is a disturbing and consistent pattern. Minorities and vulnerable groups are habitually targeted by mobs. Law enforcement agencies are often reported to have stood idle. The courts, meanwhile, preside over a mountain of stalled cases relating to sectarian and mob violence. The cumulative effect is a deepening deterioration. Justice remains elusive while mob and sectarian violence continues unchecked. Such a situation has entrenched impunity, where one community or group acts without consequence against another, corroding the foundation of citizenship. Bangladesh鈥檚 founding ideals promised equality, dignity and secular coexistence. Yet, when minorities and vulnerable groups are attacked and their safety depends on the goodwill of political actors, the ideals are betrayed.
The government, interim or elected, must, therefore, demonstrate that perpetrators, regardless of political or religious affiliation, are held accountable. Only then can Bangladesh begin to break the cycle of mob violence. Until such action, the flames lit in Ramu will continue to burn, consuming the fragile promise of communal harmony.
