Dhaka rebuilding Buddhist temples

[bambi]

Dhaka rebuilding Buddhist temples

I sincerely hope that the situation have improve. It was heart breaking to see the temples being burned down and so many people affected by it. And now finally, it is being rebuild and something being done to restore it. Salute to the Prime Minister and the government who are doing this. And also for looking into the matter to ensure that it will not happen again in the future. For your info, 120 million taka is almost 1.5 million dollars. Wow!

I really pray that everything will be smooth.


Dhaka, Bangladesh -- Authorities have started rebuilding the Buddhist temples destroyed by mobs in Cox’s bazaar and Chittagong districts in September.

Reports from Cox’s bazaar said reconstruction work had started under a directive from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who had assured that the temples would be rebuilt. The work would reportedly be carried out by Army engineers at an estimated cost of 120 million taka.

Officials said the new designs would be finalised by Buddhist leaders to retain original shapes.

The September 29 and 30 mayhem in the Buddhist villages in Ramu, Ukhia, Teknaf and Patiya in southeast Bangladesh, adjoining the Rakhine State of Myanmar, was the worst communal violence in Bangladesh’s history. It displaced several thousand Buddhists and dozens of homes were vandalised.

The violence was allegedly triggered by an offensive Facebook post maligning Prophet Mohammad. However, most enquiry reports say the attack was planned and politically motivated. Fundamentalist organisations active along the border with Myanmar have been blame for carrying out the attack with support from the Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who visited the worst affected Ramu area, later told a delegation of Buddhist leaders that her government would not spare anyone involved in the attack. The main opposition BNP has blamed the government for the attack.

The Hasina government believes the attack on Buddhists, who comprises about one per cent of the population, may have other motives: to force the government to accept the Rohingya refugees from Myanmar; to wreck the ongoing war crimes trial and to create anarchy ahead of the next general elections.

However, almost all probe reports have questioned the role of the local administration and police during the attacks as the government agencies had remained silent onlookers during the violence.

Around 250 people have been arrested over the attacks and the government has announced trial of the plotters and attackers in the Speedy Trial Court.

There is a strong allegation of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami’s involvement in the attack.

[DSFriend]

The violence was allegedly triggered by an offensive Facebook post maligning Prophet Mohammad. However, most enquiry reports say the attack was planned and politically motivated. Fundamentalist organisations active along the border with Myanmar have been blame for carrying out the attack with support from the Rohingya refugees from Myanmar.

Oh my! This again goes to show how destructive anger can be. A "facebook post" triggered so much anger for this destruction. This is reality for society today When we are not happy or pleased, we have outburst. Anger is contagious and spreads. Therefore it is sad to see how our younger generation will follow suit.

 We are the product of influence by the generation ahead of us. How can destructive behaviors ever be a solution?

[Tenzin K]

For whatever reason spiritual shouldn’t be part of the political game.

Spiritual concern with the end of suffering through the enlightened understanding of reality. People should respect and learn up to be a better person. The country leader should protect and make priority for the benefits of their people. We are not talking about the temple as the physical but the essence of the teaching that represent.

The anger that outburst that causes such outcome really shows how much people need spiritual learning. Regardless what religious it’s when we say as spiritual it’s should be common for one to achieve liberation from all suffering and able to share with all people with compassion and great wisdom.
Violence can never solve any issues but just bring down one with a great negative karma. I hope the rebuilt of this temple give the opportunity for others to create merits and may the spiritual learning spread and grow for the harmonious of the people and the country. 

[dondrup]

If the attack was planned and politically motivated as reported then being silent onlookers during the violence showed the lack of concern by the authorities and the government.  The government had failed in its duty to protect its minority Buddhists community and their priceless Buddhist heritage – the ancient Buddhists temples!

Why did those people involve resort to violence and burn down these ancient Buddhists temples?  Surely anger, violence and their actions did not provide solutions to whatever problems that had arisen.  The person alleged for maligning Prophet Mohammad in the Facebook should be punished for his action.  People should not take laws into their own hands and initiated the retaliations!

The costs and efforts involved in restoring the temples and helping thousands of Buddhists who had lost their homes in the communal attack would greatly affect the government coffers!  Bangladesh is not a rich country!  On hindsight the damage done is bigger than expected.  Now the country is poorer and surely many other sectors are affected e.g. tourism, economy etc.  Ultimately the whole nation is affected! The government should do something quick to restore harmony and greater understanding amongst its citizens!

[RedLantern]

It is great goodwill gesture by the Government to rebuild and restore the Buddhist temples back to their original state.Buddhist make up less than one percent of Bangladesh's 153 million mostly Muslim population,  are mainly based in the southeast near the border with  Buddhist -majority Mynmar. 120 Buddhist houses were attacked and some razed to the ground and dozens of shops were looted in last month's violence.
It is a pity such incident due to rumours circulated that a young Buddhist man had posted photographs  on facebook insulting Islam,which he strongly denied.
The Government should enforced stricter laws on violence to protect it's innocent  citizens.