Bhola Massacre 2019

Islamic extremists’ rampage in Bhola that day still feels alive in my memory

These thousands of men wearing skullcaps, each holding sticks, running forward while performing frenzied dances — they do not know what their goal is. Someone has said that someone has insulted Islam, and for that they are rushing forward. They believe they must protect the religion — that is their vow. They do not know who, how, or whether anyone has said anything about religion at all. In the minds of these thousands of people, there is nothing of their own. They dance however their leaders make them dance. In the process, the lives, belongings, and property of some innocent people are harmed. The biggest rampage I have seen in my life was this Bhola incident.

That day was 20 October 2019. From the morning, the sky over Borhanuddin Upazila of Bhola had taken on a strange, tense atmosphere. Since the previous day, tension had been spreading in the area over a Facebook post. Rumors spread like wildfire that from the hacked ID of a young man named Biplob Chandra Shuvo, a message insulting religion had been sent. Ordinary people, many of whom do not understand the complexities of technology, only heard that “religion has been insulted.” That was enough — no one felt the need to think further or verify anything.

As the morning progressed, thousands of people began gathering at the Borhanuddin Eidgah field. At this rally organized under the banner of “Tawhidi Janata,” a group of opportunistic instigators capitalized on the blind emotions and anger of religious fanatics to stir up the crowd. When that mass of people spilled out of the field and onto the streets, it turned into a violent and uncontrollable assembly. Thousands of people with sticks in their hands, slogans in their mouths, and blind rage in their eyes. Seeing the frenzy of those at the front of the procession, it seemed as though they were rushing toward a great destruction. But the tragic reality was that the majority of those swept up in that tide did not know what the real incident was, whom they were taking the law into their own hands to punish, or what that person had actually written or said.

Within moments, that blind rage crashed down upon the innocent Hindu community of the area. Without committing any crime, solely because of their religious identity, one Hindu household after another became the target of destruction. The frenzied mob attacked homes with sticks and machetes. Furniture was smashed, temple idols were shattered. It did not end with vandalism — valuable items, money, and jewelry were looted from the houses. Then petrol was poured and several homes were set on fire. Flames roared everywhere, and the air filled with the smell of burning and the cries of the devastated families. Terrified people fled in every direction to save their lives — for them, this was a horrifying, cursed landscape.

At the same time, another terrifying situation unfolded at a local school. Teachers, students, and ordinary passersby took shelter inside the school building in fear, trying to escape the mob. But the violent crowd surrounded the school from all sides and trapped everyone inside. The innocent children and people trapped inside were overwhelmed with indescribable fear of death. Outside, stones were being thrown and deafening slogans filled the air. Those trapped inside were forced to endure extreme psychological trauma and fear for their lives for a long time. Thousands of frenzied Tawhidi Janata, before whom the police and administration were helpless. On the other side, only a handful of people were fighting for their lives by keeping the school’s doors and windows shut.

When the police fired tear gas and shotgun rounds to bring the situation under control, the entire area turned into a battlefield. The air grew heavy with flying stones, and all around there were screams and cries. In the bloody clashes between the police and the mob, four lives were lost, and more than a hundred people, including police officers, were injured. In an instant, the entire area turned into a land of death. In the name of the religion whose core message is “peace,” a horrific orgy of destruction was carried out that day.

In reality, such rampages by “Tawhidi Janata” in the name of Islam are nothing new in this country. On various pretexts, at various times, many such barbaric incidents have occurred before. The incidents in Satkhira’s Fatehpur, Ramu, Nasirnagar, Shalla, or Malopara — dozens of such events stand as proof. In almost every case, it has been seen that without any concrete evidence, merely by exploiting rumors, a group of opportunists incite mass hysteria. And the victims of this frenzy and planned violence are the innocent, helpless minorities of this country, especially the Hindu community. Time and again, their homes, places of worship, and lives have been turned into hell due to political manipulation or personal vendettas.

The incident of 20 October in Bhola was not just a story of violence; it was a terrifying display of Islamic fanaticism hiding behind the power of rumor. How a provocation spread from a fake or hacked ID can blind thousands of Islamic people in an instant — the Borhanuddin rampage is living proof of that. By the end of the day, it left behind several corpses, piles of ashes, destitute families, and a deep wound on communal harmony. Even today, when the image of that skullcap‑wearing, stick‑wielding frenzied mob flashes before my eyes, my body shivers at the thought of how the ignorance, hysteria, and intolerance of Islamic fanatics can swallow a person’s conscience in a moment.