On Tuesday, a co-ordinated attack by Islamist groups on Ahmadiyyas in Panchagarh left 50 people injured -- a travesty of the secular ideals on which Bangladesh was founded. The cowardly attack was in response to the “jalsha,” an annual gathering of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, which the Islamist groups had protested beforehand and, as a result, had been cancelled. From every possible angle, this terrible attack has highlighted the violation of the rights of a single minority community that has been going on for a long time, and it is not something that we as a nation can afford to let slide. It is a duty of the state and law enforcement to ensure the rights of every single individual, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or creed. It must be made clear that the rest of the country will not stand for the violent threats and demands of groups who only wish to spread hatred and increase strife between communities.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 14, 2019 18:00 UTC