Shahzahan Bachchu, a writer and publisher has become the latest victim in the long line of bloggers and activists being killed in Bangladesh. In last five years, almost 300 progressive authors, poets, artists and social activists have laid down their lives resisting the Islamist juggernaut.
It is sad that another progressive author-cum-publisher has been assassinated in Bangladesh. According to press reports, Shahzahan Bachchu, 60, an outspoken proponent of secular principles and owner of the publishing house ‘Bishaka Prokashoni’ that specialised in publishing poetry, was gunned down in his ancestral village Kakaldi in Munshiganj district in central Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has turned into a huge killing field for creative personalities who uphold the democratic-secular ideology as authors, poets, dramatists, social activists, artists, bloggers and publishers. Bangladesh which happened to be the most secular society in the subcontinent, though being ruled by a non-Islamist party, is under the complete sway of the criminal Islamists. These human bloodthirsty sadist killers claim that only they know the truth and only they have the franchise of the divine path. The fact is that these criminals are cowards who are scared of a poem, an essay, a drawing, a drama, a poster or a book. Their truth is so vulnerable and weak that it falls down on the ground by any creative expression of dissent.
In last five years, almost 300 progressive authors, poets, artists and social activists have laid down their lives resisting the Islamist juggernaut.
It may be noted that the Hindutva organizations which continuously cry foul of Islam/Muslims and miss no opportunity to denigrate the latter keep mum on these killings. The most likely reason is that these bigots are undertaking such killings in India and do not want to embarrass their Islamist brothers-in-crime. A similarity between killings by the Islamists in Bangladesh and Hindutva terrorist organization in India has been that, all the victims are those who uphold dreams of democratic-secular, progressive and egalitarian society. These are the progressive intellectuals who are in the vanguard of the fight against the religious zealots.
The author taught at Delhi University. He is a researcher of religious nationalism, persecution of women, Dalits and is a street theatre activist.