Tajul Islam Hashmi alias Taj Hashmi, a self-proclaimed historian-cum-cultural anthropologist has been spreading venom against Awami League government in Bangladesh by branding it being inclined towards Hindus, India and anti-Islamic forces. Taj Hashmi in his lectures and writings compares Hindus and members of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) with Adolf Hitler has been openly demonizing India and even defaming India’s national anthem. And unfortunately, he received patronization and even funding from numerous organizations in the United States, Canada, Britain and other European nations.
In a recently published article on several websites, Taj Hashmi wrote:
“If the US wants a regime change in Bangladesh, or if it simply wants a compliant regime to serve its long-term geopolitical interests across the region. A directly US-sponsored military intervention – à la Panama or Iraq – for a regime change operation in Bangladesh is least likely to happen. However, there’s nothing new about US-sponsored regime changes in the Third World by staging coups d’état by the armed forces of the countries concerned without any military intervention by the superpower since the early 1950s. One may think of a third option besides any direct US military intervention or a US-sponsored military coup in the country. It could be the imposition of US economic sanctions and embargoes on Bangladesh besides the subtle arm-twisting of the country, which the Biden Administration has already been doing. Since America is the biggest donor and investor in Bangladesh and a major importer of apparel from the country, withdrawing financial assistance and investments and stopping imports would spell disaster in the country. No regime would survive such all-out sanctions or embargoes in Bangladesh”.
He further wrote:
“…During the post-9/11 paranoia about further terror attacks by Islamist terrorists in the West, America, and its allies sought a compliant regime in Bangladesh having no soft corner for Islamist terror outfits. During Khaleda Zia’s second term (2001-2006), “pro-Indian” people in Bangladesh organized political chaos and disorder throughout the country in preparation for Hasina’s re-ascendancy”.
It may be mentioned here that, although Taj Hashmi terms 2001-2006 as “Khaleda Zia’s second term”, in fact, during that period a coalition government of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) was in power. Of course, individuals like Taj Hashmi won’t ever tell the truth, as these lapdogs of Islamists, jihadists and Pakistanis have always made notorious bids in misleading people with lies and falsehood.
Taj Hashmi has been a regular columnist with Dhaka’s leading English newspaper The Daily Star. He also writes for several websites such as Counter Currents, South Asia Journal etc. Hashmi has been a harsh critic of Hindus, India and Rabindra Nath Tagore.
In one of his writings titled ‘The Tagore Mania: Identity Crisis and Anti-Bangladesh Syndrome’ which was published on May 11, 2006 by the Simon Fraser University, Canada, Hashmi wrote: “I simply pity these people along with those who regard Rabindranath Tagore as the best poet, lyricist, short-story writer, novelist, essayist, Nobel Laureate, Zamindar, master, human being and what not! Those among these fanatically blind Rabindra-Bhaktas, who do not believe in God, consider him as one and all his writings as the substitute for the Bible, Quran and the Vedas. They are no better than the most fanatic mullahs, Hindu revivalists and the Neo-Cons in and around Washington D.C. All of them are dangerous to human dignity, peace and civilization. Their role vis-à-vis a sovereign Bangladesh, which has NO reason to be merged with West Bengal or India to become their slave (again?), is simply vicious, heinous and all Bangladeshis should be aware of it”.
Criticizing Indian national anthem, Taj Hashmi wrote: “While some historians think he wrote this song in praise of King-Emperor George V out of gratitude as he declared the annulment of the Partition in 1911 at the Delhi Durbar, others allude it to Tagore’s love for the Indian “Jana Gana” as the “Bharata Bhagya Bidhata”. Although I am very skeptical about the second assertion, yet I am not being judgemental as I do not have any evidence to substantiate either of the assertions. However, it is most likely that he wrote the song eulogizing George V as the “Bharata Bhagya Bidhata” (determinant of the fate of the Indians)”.
He compared Hindus and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) with Adolf Hitler stating: “Now, those who think Tagore was not an anti-Muslim communal person by citing examples from his short stories and fictions where he portrayed some Muslims as noble characters should re-read the following Tagore poems: Nava Barsha, Shivaji Utshab, Ma Bhoi and Brahman. What type of “non-communal” Maha Rishi (Great Saint) could glorify Hindu and Brahmin supremacy and the inhuman and barbaric Sati (Suttee) or burning of Hindu widows alive on their husband’s funeral pyre? His Shivaji Utshab was horridly a glorification of Hindutva as this poem not only eulogized Shivaji the Maratha nationalist against Mughal paramountcy (I have no problem with that) but it also contemplates the vision of “one religion in one country”. Was it very dissimilar from Hitler’s one race in one country or the fascist Shiv Sena’s and RSS’s advocacy for unadulterated Hindu supremacy in India?
“He [Tagore] was not that different so far as anti-Muslim public assertions are concerned from Bankim and Sarat Chatterjee. While Bankim considered Indian Muslims “unclean skin head foreigners” (mlechha javana nerey), Sarat Chatterjee publicly demanded the expulsion of Indian Muslims for the sake of a better India (in 1926 at a public meeting organized by the Hindu Mahasabha – see Joya Chatterjee’s Hindu Communalism and the Partition of Bengal), Tagore was sometimes more subtle in venting out his anti-Muslim sentiment”.
Family life of Taj Hashmi
Few months ago, INTERPOL wanted convicted fugitive Shahid Uddin Khan sent a text to one of his contacts in Bangladesh stating: “Dekho chor Hashmi’r meye Canada te potitar kaj korey (Look thief Hashmi’s daughter is engaged in prostitution in Canada)”.
As claimed by Shahid Uddin Khan, Taj Hashmi’s daughter, Sabrina Hashmi, who lives in Canada is known in the Bengali circle as a “filthy hooker”, while she also is known as “drug addict”. Although Taj Hashmi is aware of his daughter’s “nasty lifestyle”, he does not object as he too is known to his inner circle as “pervert” and “homosexual”.
