Has the celebration of Bengali new year back-fired?

M A Hossain

There is a military terminology called 'blow-back', meaning any experiment by any intelligence or military strategists had received a negative result.  In our societies,  ruling elites take some whimsical decision,  which ultimately turn as counter-productive. In India, our friendly neighbours, the madness of some radical Hindus on taking extreme measures on the Muslims even by murdering for the 'crime' of consuming beef or the forceful conversions of Muslims and Christians into Hinduism ultimately would bring no pleasant consequence. By doing this, the radical Hindus actually are inciting riots between non-Hindus and Hindus.

In contrary,  if our Hindu neighbours in India will look into Bangladesh,  Indonesia,  Malaysia or even United Arab Emirates, they certainly won't find any such religious madness and extremist at all. Because, Islam is the religion of peace - not confrontation.

In 2016, all on a sudden,  Bangladesh government,  more precisely the ruling party had encouraged people to celebrate Bengali new year or Pohela Boishakh, with the spirit of an interfaith festival.  Government establishments and institutions got instructions from country's supreme command of giving Pohela Boishakh a flavour and colour much brighter and louder than religious festivals such as Eid or Puja respectively of Muslims and the Hindus. No one knew, this theory was transmitted from some of the Bharariya Janata Party bigwigs.

Pohela Boishakh had always been observed with due festivity in Bangladesh, West Bengal and Sri Lanka. But, the 2016 celebration of this Bengali new year had ultimately turned into a total mess. Ruling party youths had all the energy of molesting girls and women during the Bengali new year procession namedMongol Shovajatra. Finally, the same government had to impose too much restrictions in the subsequent Bengali new year celebration in 2017! and 2018!

We are going to welcome another Bengali new year 1425 on the second week of April this year. And for sure, once again, under too harsh and too much restrictions.  Doesn't it prove - excess of everything is bad?


This author is a political and defence analyst and worked in the United Nations.

This article also published at:
1.Boomnaija,nijeria:04April 2018
2.Modern Ghana, Ghana :04April 2018