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Thursday, November 1, 2012
The Buddhist community yesterday expressed resentment over what they saw as a false display of religious harmony when Awami League leaders and officials of the local administration released sky lanterns in Ramu of Cox's Bazar.
It has been only a month since Buddhists in Ramu witnessed 12 of their age-old temples burnt to ashes and dozens of houses damaged by some Muslim zealots over a Facebook picture of a partly burnt Quran.
In protest at the violence against them, the local Buddhist community this year forbore to celebrate Prabarana Purnima, one of their biggest religious festivals, on October 29. They did not release sky lanterns and float decorated ships on the river.
Yesterday's event irked them. They say the programme hurt their religious sentiments. The people, who had allegedly instigated the devastation, also participated in the programme, local Buddhists said. A few Buddhists also joined the group.
Jyotirmoy Barua Rijon, convenor of Bangladesh Chhatra League, Ramu upazila unit, said they had organised the programme to dispel fear and sorrow among the Buddhist community as well as among other people in society.
The programme was organised at Ramu Khijari High School under the banner of a just floated organisation named "Non-Communal Students Council".
Social activist Shamim Ahsan Bulu, who was present there, told The Daily Star that a large number of Buddhists had gathered outside the school field to see the event.
"I saw many of them express resentment over the event. They were saying, 'Why are they releasing lanterns now when Prabarana Purnima ended two days ago'?"
Some 80 people, including ruling party lawmaker Athein Rakhain, Upazila Parishad Chairman Sohel Sarwar Kajol, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Debi Chanda, Ramu Police Station Officer-in-Charge Gazi Shakhawat Hossain and Ramu Press Club President Nurul Islam Selim, were present at the programme.
Rijon, one of the organisers of the event, said he could not invite all because of a shortage of time. But he had invited all elderly persons from the local Buddhist community, who were not there at the event.
He said that like many others Upazila Parishad Chairman Kajol had advised him on how to organise the programme.
Kajol, however, denied the allegation of supporting the programme. He said some youths of Hazari Kul village had organised the programme. On receiving an invitation, he just attended the programme, Kajol added.
Bijon Barua, a local Buddhist, told The Daily Star that it was an insult to the community. Many others echoed his view.
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