Neo-Nazis target autistic children in Bangladesh

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Almost 80 years after the defeat of Nazi forces in the Second World War, far away from Europe, their cronies have risen again to flex their muscles against autistic people. In Bangladesh, an Islamist-political party named Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami have been actively engaged in producing anti-autistic films and propaganda, projecting autistic children as “result of sin”, showing troubling parallels with the propaganda of the nefarious Nazi Party. It is hardly any surprise that Jamaat-e-Islami has been involved for a long time in showing support for other Nazi doctrines like antisemitism and projecting women as being inferior to men.

After committing this heinous crime, the producer, writer, director, and artists of a controversial television fiction named Ghotona Shotyo or Ghotona Shotto now are trying to hide their criminal actions by stating it was their “mistake”. While conscious people in Bangladesh and abroad are expressing outrage at this drama and demanding exemplary punishment of everyone involved in this notorious project, several organizations, particularly of the artists are continuing campaigns on social media stating the artists of the drama were not “aware” of the controversial portion of it.

Producers of this notorious television fiction is a company named Central Music & Video Limited, which was founded and owned by Helal Khan, a leader of the cultural front of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

The story of Ghotona Shotto follows a couple who deceive people around them. Towards the end, it is shown that they have a child with special needs. In one scene, the couple wonders if the condition of their autistic child is a result of their misdeeds and sin.

It may be mentioned here that in 2013, the government had formulated a law with provisions of imprisonment and financial penalty for those who would bully or cause insult or hurt the sentiments of the autistic community in the country. Under the law, bullying autistic people is a punishable offense. Anyone committing such a crime is liable to three years of imprisonment and a BDT 500,000 fine.

Those involved in the production of this film, with a very dangerous underlying theme, plan to get away by just apologizing.