It is a matter of grave concern that we call those Hindus in Bangladesh ‘Bengali Hindus’ instead of ‘Bangladeshi Hindus’ (“Bengali Hindus in Muslim-majority Bangladesh,” Jan. 16). It shows that an impression has been created in the minds of the people that ‘being Hindu’ and ‘being Bangladeshi’ are two different things.
This mental fissure may either have been caused by extremist elements present there, or maybe because they (Bangladeshi Hindus) isolated themselves from the country’s manistream. Either way, it is clear that adequate constitutional safeguards are absent. A country liberated on linguistic grounds can have its foundation resting only on secularism and equality.
Misbahul Islam,
Aligarh