The murder of Shahjahan Bachchu a secular writer-publisher of Munshiganj district in Bangladesh on the 11th of June has made secular bloggers and writers as well as members of minority communities in Bangladesh realise bitter memories of the barbaric murders of Bachchu was known for his forthright views on religion and other issues.

His killing has broken the lull that persisted for some time, especially after the gruesome killings of 20 people on July 1, 2016 at the Holey Artisan Restaurant in Dhaka’s elite Gulshan area at the hands of homegrown Islamic terrorists of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Of those killed, 17 were foreigners, including Japanese, Italians and one Indian.

They targeted non-Muslims and identified them by asking them to read the verses of the Quran. it is silent on the barbaric and cold-blooded murders of freethinkers, bloggers and writers and members of minorities elsewhere. The silence of the international community in this regard is appalling too.

When Bangladesh drafted and framed its Constitution in 1972, it embraced the basic tenets of democracy, socialism, secularism and Bengali nationalism. Later, after a while the junta government, which was led by Gen. Zia-ur Rahman, usurped power by having Sheikh Mujib and several members of his family to be brutally murdered in 1975. In 1977, the country introduced sweeping constitutional changes through the Fifth Amendment, virtually destroying the soul of the Constitution.

It substituted “Bengali nationalism” with “Bangladeshi nationalism”, striking at the new nation erected on the plinth of the Bengali language and culture. The phrase “Bangladeshi nationalism” has the overt hint of Islamic nationalism, and this became evident as secularism was replaced with “absolute trust and faith in Almighty Allah”. In 1988, Islam was declared the state religion.

The world community is maintaining utter silence. As Global human rights bodies have spoken up, but only in the context of Rohingya Muslims, pressuring Bangladesh to permit their entry. It’s not that Sheikh Hasina has not done anything, but it is far from being adequate.

For these obscurantists, anyone not believing in Allah is a heretic. Thus they target not only Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, etc, but also Muslims who are atheists. government sulks after each incident and invariably blames the victim for hurting the religious sentiments of the people.

“Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible”. The Universal Declaration had to be adopted as the United Nations Charter has utterly failed to protect human rights.