In a deeply disturbing development that threatens Bangladesh’s fragile communal harmony, Lieutenant General (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, the Home Affairs Advisor to Muhammad Yunus, made highly objectionable remarks about the upcoming Sharadiya Durga Puja – the biggest religious festival of the country’s Hindu community.

On September 8, during a preparatory meeting for Durga Puja, Chowdhury issued what he termed an “order” and declared before journalists:

“There must not be any gathering for alcohol or cannabis during Durga Puja”.

Such a statement, by directly linking Bangladesh’s most revered Hindu festival with alcohol and drugs, is not only insulting to the Hindu community but also potentially dangerous. Devotees and rights activists alike are questioning: Is Durga Puja a festival of alcohol and cannabis?

A repeat of past communal provocations

This is not the first time such hateful rhetoric has been directed at Durga Puja. During Sheikh Hasina’s tenure, Awami League Member of Parliament Bahar Uddin Bahar notoriously described Durga Puja as a “liquor festival”. Following the fall of the Hasina regime last year, Bahar and his daughter Suchona fled to India, where they remain........

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