A former minister in Bangladesh, Mohammad Ali Arafat, is pointing fingers at radical Islamist groups for recent violent attacks. He claims supporters of the late extremist figure Sharif Osman Hadi targeted major media offices like The Daily Star and cultural hubs such as Chhayanaut and Udichi Shilpigoshthi in Dhaka.
Arafat argues the assaults were deliberate political strikes against the nation's secular identity and the legacy of its 1971 Liberation War. He notes attackers chanted religious slogans while vandalizing Chhayanaut, an institution born from cultural resistance. He links these groups to earlier confrontations against the Awami League government, questioning whether their motive is purely political or stems from deeper ideological hostility.
He also criticized the current interim administration under Muhammad Yunus for banning widely supported political parties. Arafat stated that without inclusive participation, the upcoming national election cannot be considered democratic, disenfranchising millions of ordinary citizens.
Arafat argues the assaults were deliberate political strikes against the nation's secular identity and the legacy of its 1971 Liberation War. He notes attackers chanted religious slogans while vandalizing Chhayanaut, an institution born from cultural resistance. He links these groups to earlier confrontations against the Awami League government, questioning whether their motive is purely political or stems from deeper ideological hostility.
He also criticized the current interim administration under Muhammad Yunus for banning widely supported political parties. Arafat stated that without inclusive participation, the upcoming national election cannot be considered democratic, disenfranchising millions of ordinary citizens.
