Bangladesh cannot afford religious turmoil

Bangladesh cannot afford religious turmoil

The Bangladesh government needs to be praised for its resolve to fight religious extremists who have launched a violent campaign for a blasphemy law that threatens to tear apart the country which follows a secular policy despite being overwhelmingly Muslim.While any loss of life is regrettable – about 50 people have been killed in clashes over two days so far – the fact remains that the government has not shied away from doing its basic duty, which is to maintain law and order and provide security to its people.Religious extremism is a dangerous phenomenon that can easily take a country to ruin. Numerous examples of turmoil, especially in the Muslim world, can be directly or indirectly linked to senseless sectarianism that is often legitimised as part of political power struggles.Activists of Hefazat-e-Islam (protection of Islam) have in recent months held the government to ransom. They have killed or threatened secular intellectuals, attacked bloggers for airing their liberal views and destroyed scores of temples belonging to the minority Hindu community, alarming the majority of the population which believes in peaceful coexistence.Bangladesh, which became a separate nation in 1972 after breaking away from Pakistan, knows too well that that it cannot afford large-scale strife. It should learn from Pakistan where violence is part and parcel of daily life with the Taliban and other assorted gangs of religious bigots continuing to wreak havoc without the slightest fear of the law enforcement agencies.The Hefajat-e-Islam should be aware that Islam is not in danger – it cannot be. It’s an excuse that extremists come up with whenever they feel they are losing public support. Also, as several cases in Pakistan prove, the blasphemy law is often used as a ruse to settle private scores and to oppress the minorities.Walk and be damnedIt’s dangerous to be a pedestrian in Qatar, plain and simple. That’s the outcome of a study by the Hamad General Hospital (HGH) which released mind-numbing figures about road accident deaths on Sunday.According to the HGH, a whopping 12.5% of all deaths in Qatar are caused by traffic accidents. Loss of lives caused by injuries suffered in road accidents far outnumber the deaths resulting from cancer or cardiovascular diseases.The study says that pedestrians are most vulnerable to road accidents, with expatriates from Nepal, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka constituting about 92% of casualties. A whopping 71% of pedestrian road accident victims succumb to their injuries on the scene, HGH Trauma Surgery department’s injury prevention director Dr Rafael Consunji said.A drive through Qatar’s roads can be a nightmarish experience for even the most seasoned of drivers. Speed limits are rarely adhered to, many drivers are on their cellphones while stepping on the gas and kids ride on their mothers laps. Various organisations in conjunction with the traffic department have been doing exemplary work in promoting awareness about traffic rules and road safety, but it seems a lot more needs to be done.