Why has construction of Bangladesh’s tallest Ram statue been halted?

When Tarique Rahman became the prime minister of Bangladesh in February, he said his government would turn the country into a safe land for people of all faiths, regardless of party, opinion, religion, or ethnicity.

However, it seems that he’s fallen short on that vow. India’s neighbouring country is currently on edge as construction of a Ram statue has been halted following threats from radical Islamist outfits.

The entire situation has raised questions over religious freedom and minority rights in Bangladesh under the Tarique Rahman administration.

Row erupts over Lord Ram statue

>> In Palashbari, situated in Bangladesh’s northern Gaibandha district, a statue of Lord Ram was being constructed as part of a larger temple complex. The project, estimated to be around 220 million taka (Rs 15.6 crore), would also see the construction of a 50-foot statue of Lord Krishna and a 30-foot statue of Lord Shiva.

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>> The Lord Ram statue, at 81 feet, would have become the tallest in Bangladesh once completed.

>> According to Haridas Chandra Das, president of the Sri Sri Radha Govinda Temple committee, which is behind the project, the Lord Ram statue was being built as a tribute to one of the central figures of Sanatan Dharma.

>> However, as recently as this week, the committee has put the project on hold after Islamist groups issued threats against those involved in the project. We are building a statue of one of the main sources of strength of Sanatan Dharma, Lord Ram. In the 81-foot statue, we have completed around 80 per cent of the work, but some radical groups are now pressurising us to stop construction. We are scared, and in fear and out of fear, we have kept the work suspended. I want to appeal to the PM, Honourable Tarique Rahman, and to law and order authorities and to civil society to ensure we can complete the work,” Das was quoted as telling NDTV.

>> Temple committee adviser Shyamlal Kumar Mahanta also added that they had halted work to “preserve social harmony”.

“We are stopping this work to maintain law and order and communal harmony. We do not want to become the cause of any dispute, nor do we wish to hurt anyone's religious sentiments,” Mahanta was quoted as saying by India Today.

>> Earlier in the month, a video had gone viral that showed an Islamic hardliner threatening to demolish the idol if the government didn’t destroy it. “An idol of Ram is being built. Destroy it with a bulldozer. If the government does not do it, then the common people (Muslims) will destroy it,” he is heard saying in the video.

Anger erupts over construction being halted

>> The decision to halt the construction of the Ram statue has angered many in the country. Students of Dhaka University carried out a procession to register their protest against the threats being issued to those behind the Ram statue.

>> Even well-known author Taslima Nasreen condemned the threats being issued. In a lengthy X post, she wrote, “The threats, incitement, and hateful rhetoric directed against the Ram temple currently under construction in Palashbari, Gaibandha, are deeply concerning. No individual or group acquires the right to demolish another community’s place of worship simply because they dislike it. In a state governed by the rule of law, religious disagreements are not resolved through violence or barbarism.”

>> She further added, “Calls to demolish a Ram statue reflect a Taliban-like mindset. In 2001, the Taliban destroyed the Bamiyan Buddhas because they could not tolerate the symbols and heritage of a different faith. If people today threaten to destroy the statue of Ram being built in Gaibandha, a clear parallel can be seen with the mentality that led to the destruction of Bamiyan.”

>> The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council Central Committee has also urged the Tarique Rahman-led government to take immediate action against the threats.

Concerns over minority rights in Bangladesh

>> The issue once again highlights the matter of the safety of minorities in Bangladesh.

>> According to the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council, a leading minority rights body, 133 incidents of communal violence were recorded between January 1 and March 31 this year.

>> Violence against minorities, particularly Hindus, had peaked following the ouster of former PM Sheikh Hasina. The installation of an interim government under the leadership of Nobel winner Muhammad Yunus didn’t help the matter either, with multiple Hindu men being arrested or killed.

>> The most noteworthy of arrests was that of Chinmoy Das Prabhu, who was charged with murder as well as sedition.

>> However, things seemed to improve with Tarique Rahman winning the elections. In his first address as PM, Rahman said: “We want to turn this country into a safe land for every citizen. Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians - regardless of party, opinion, religion, or ethnicity - whether living in the hills or the plains, this country belongs to all of us.”

With inputs from agencies