A storm of protest has emerged on the social media platforms in Bangladesh after a radical Islamist group’s announcement to build a mosque in the holy Sitakunda Hill went viral. The minority Hindu community as well as the several Hindu leaders criticised the decision and demanded special arrangements from the law enforcement entities to protect the holy pilgrimage site.
Recently, some radical Islamists met to discuss building a mosque in Sitakunda Hill. Saiful Islam, a radical face in Bangladesh, posted a photo of that meeting on Facebook. He wrote a caption where he mentioned that the decision of building a mosque in Sitakunda Hill is almost final. In the posted photos, Harun Ezhar is seen.
Who is Harun Ezhar? Harun is a known face among the radical Islamists. Earlier he was arrested for his alleged links with the banned Jihadi groups ‘LeT’ and ‘Al-Qaeda in Indian Sub-Continent’.
Soon, those photos went viral and received strong criticism from the minority Hindu community. Many Hindu minorities demanded the holy pilgrimage site at any cost and urged the government to take the necessary steps. Many Hindu leaders also expressed their anger over this announcement.
Sri Gobinda Chandra Pramanik, Secretary of ‘Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajot’ said, “The holy Sitakunda Hill must be protected at any cost. The Government should declare it a Hindu site and the entry of non-Hindus must be banned there.”
Sitakunda is a famous Shaktipeeth of Bangladesh. It is a popular pilgrimage site to the Hindu minorities of Bangladesh. But, over the years, Muslims have been flocking to the holy pilgrimage site. Muslims have been arranging camps there and destroying the trees and natural environment of the hill. Earlier, several Islamic groups have run Dawat program among the Hindu devotees in the Sitakunda Hill and surrounding areas.
