145 Bangladeshi citizens urge Indian people to stand against communalism

In a statement titled "Our Appeal to the People of India," 145 Bangladeshi citizens have urged Indian nationals to fight against communalism in their country while expressing solidarity in the shared struggles of both nations. The statement highlighted that the crises faced by the common people in both countries are fundamentally similar.

"When judging the crises in the lives of common people, there is essentially no difference between our two countries. We will fight against communal tendencies and powers in our country, and we urge you to stand against communalism in yours," the statement said.

The statement, released on Friday and sent to the media by Rafiquzzaman Farid, central general secretary of the Socialist Students' Front (Marxist), emphasised the deteriorating diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh and the role of extremist communal forces in inciting tensions in the region.

“We are in a time of crisis when the diplomatic relationship between India and Bangladesh is in a dire state, and some extremist communal forces in India are continuously provoking discord among the peoples of this region,” the statement said. “We never equate the people of India with the Indian government. We know the people of India are also fighting against Hindutva forces and communalism. After a long struggle, we have toppled the fascist Awami League government. During the bloody struggles of July and August, you expressed solidarity with us through your programmes. The tradition of solidarity between your democratic movements and ours has a long history.”

The statement underscored that communalism is one of the most significant problems in the Indian subcontinent, dividing people and fostering divisions based on religion.

It further noted the historic role of Bangladesh's Hindu community in establishing a secular state and their contributions to the country's independence and democratic movements. The statement also highlighted their involvement in the recent July-August mass uprising, where many members of the Hindu community joined the struggle and even sacrificed their lives.

Among the signatories of the statement were economist Anu Muhammad, professor and writer Salimullah Khan, Bangladesh Open University pro-vice-chancellor Sayeed Ferdous, journalist Ashraf Kaiser, writer and singer Farzana Wahid Shayan, Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua and others.