On October 22, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy purportedly wished all Bangladeshis “a very happy #DurgaPuja” on X, formerly Twitter. Using the X handle @sajeebwazed, Sajeeb Wazed, or someone on his behalf, made an eloquent statement that is a shining example of someone who professes secular values and principles.
“Religion is for individuals, Festival is for all”, the X post said before adding “May this Puja brings (sic) the end of evil forces and let people prosper in an inclusive and peaceful society”. The person ended the post with the customary “Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu”.
The same day, using his Facebook page, Sajeeb Wazed Joy purportedly greeted his followers, in chaste Bengali, “Saradiya Shubhechha” (season’s greetings). Two days ago – October 22 – was Ashtami.
For the record, the past few months witnessed a series of attacks on the minority Hindus and destruction of images of Goddess Durga across several temples and places of worship in some districts of Bangladesh. In at least two instances, two Awami League leaders mounted attacks on a sitting party MP in Munshiganj district and allegedly instigated his supporters to attack Hindus in Comilla.
The Durga Puja festivities have passed off peacefully with no instances of minority bashing or violent attacks being reported in the four main days of celebrations. So, the social media posts on X and Facebook by Sajeeb Wazed, or someone purporting to be him, is understandable.
But a basic scrutiny of his then Twitter and FB posts in 2022, did not throw up any Durga Puja greetings to Bangladeshis. And last year, this time around, he was certainly in Dhaka for, in November, he made a court appearance to testify in case related to certain charges against six persons who had allegedly conspired to abduct and murder him.
The obvious question that arises is: why did Sajeeb Wazed Joy, while being in Dhaka, fail to put out social media posts on Durga Puja in 2022, whereas this year, when he has neither been seen in public for months nor appeared on any video even if he is abroad, post Durga Puja greetings and wishes on X and FB? Besides, no Bijaya greetings were put on either X or Facebook.
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Even as the controversy over Sajeeb Wazed Joy’s current whereabouts refuses to die down, the Awami League has maintained an embarrassingly stoic silence on this issue. Following her return from the September 17-October 4 official visit to the US and the UK, Sheikh Hasina did react to queries on Sajeeb Wazed’s whereabouts, saying quite abrasively that “Joy lives in the US. He is into business there. He is married there. His daughter lives there. He has property and house there. If his property is confiscated, they (US authorities) can”.
