Today is April 14, 2021. This day carries special connotation for both Bangalis and followers of Islam. Because today is the first day of Boishak (starting of Bangla new year) and the beginning of the month of Ramadan, the highest religious celebration of Muslim community. The important thing here is that on the first day of the Bangla New Year, everyone, irrespective of caste and religion celebrates it together. But sadly, this year, the Bangla New Year is not being celebrated as it is traditionally celebrated every year due to the coronavirus pandemic situation all over the world. So this year people are celebrating the first day of Bangla year sitting at home and reminiscing about the previous celebrations.
I personally cherish both religion and Bangla culture inside me. So the celebration of the first day of the Bangla New Year holds special importance to me. Every year on this day I get up very early and join the New Year celebrations at Romna Botomul in Shahabag and later participate in the rally and finally return home. Maybe luck helped me that day as I woke up a little late and could not join the new year program. It was a true story of the year of 2001.
The Baishakh celebrations at Romna Botomul are usually broadcast live on TV channels. It was happening that day too. The headline on the TV screen was a series of bombings and grenade attacks on the Romna Botomul, killing and injuring hundreds of people. Later, when I saw the video footage on TV, it was horrible. As soon as the sound of the bomb exploded, the crowd started running in different directions; suddenly the place appeared like a battlefield. It seemed like a war was going on between culture and subculture. While I was watching the news on TV, thought to myself that maybe I could be one of them.
It is good to say that a group of religious militants were active in the country at that time and were carrying out bombings in various places. However, the government was later able to crack down on these militants. By then a lot of damage has been done. The main target of the militants at that time was on culture and cultural workers. As a result, the Ekushey Book Fair was also the victim of attack.
But who are these attackers and why are they doing these attacks. The answer, however, came later when the attackers were arrested and their testimonies showed that they would not allow anti-Islamic activities to continue in the country and that is why the attack took place. They think that cultural activities are against Islam and they should not be allowed to continue in this country and that is why they did it.
Although Bangladesh is a Muslim country, non-Muslims live in this country with enough respect and everyone is quite liberal. And here everyone has enough respect for their own and others' religions. The common ceremonies, like the first day of Boishakh, where everyone participates, regardless of race or religion. But a class of religious activists are misleading the common people of this country in the name of religion. There has never been a conflict between religion and culture in this country and I believe it will not happen in the future also; as long as the common people of this country stay strong and remain liberal.
