Over 230 people have been killed in Bangladesh in the violence which has engulfed the South Asian country following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on Monday. Minorities, mostly Hindus, have been widely targeted by some sections of protesters, reports said.
Bangladesh Unrest: There have been more than 200 documented attacks on members of Hindu and other minority community across 52 districts of Bangladesh since the August 5 fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government which has plunged the country into turmoil, a report submitted by Bangladesh-based Hindu organisations has revealed.
The data was presented to Bangladesh’s newly sworn-in head of the state, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, in an open letter by Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad on Friday, according to the The Daily Star newspaper.
Over 205 attacks on Hindus, other minorities
As per the data, at least 205 attacks on members of minority communities, especially Hindus, have been documented in 52 districts since Monday, when Hasina, 76, resigned and fled to India following widespread protests against her government triggered by a controversial quota system in jobs, which later snowballed into mass protests against her government and led to violent protest, which left over 100 people dead.
“We seek protection because our lives are in a disastrous state. We are staying up at night, guarding our homes and temples. I have never seen anything like this in my life. We demand that the government restore communal harmony in the country,” said Nirmal Rosario, one of the three presidents of the unity council, as per the letter.
In the letter to Yunus, Rosario urged the 84-year-old Nobel laureate to to resolve the crisis on top priority and put an end to the violence, adding that situation in Bangladesh deteriorating at a rapid pace.
Widespread communal violence, minorities anxious
The letter, signed by Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council General Secretary Rana Dasgupta and Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad President Basudev Dhar, welcomed Yunus as the leader of a new era born from the unprecedented student-and public-led mass uprising aimed at establishing an equitable society and reform.
“When people’s victory is advancing towards its destination, we, with sorrow and heavy hearts, observe that a vested quarter is hatching a conspiracy to tarnish this achievement by carrying out unprecedented violence against minority communities,” the letter said.
It said that the ongoing communal violence has caused widespread fear, anxiety, and uncertainty among minorities in Bangladesh and has also resulted in international condemnation.
“We demand an immediate end to this situation,” the report said, citing the letter.
‘Hindus seeking refuge in others’ homes’
Kajal Devnath, a praesidium member of the unity council, said, “Those involved in attacking minorities must be brought to justice. If a minority individual is attacked for political reasons, it is still unacceptable. Anyone who commits a crime should be judged, but burning homes and looting will not lead to justice.”
Asserting that many Hindu community members are now taking refuge in others’ homes, he said, “I, too, am forced to stay at a friend’s house.”
Yunus takes charge, stability top priority
On Friday, Yunus announced the portfolios of his 16-member council of advisors after he was sworn in a day earlier as the chief advisor – a position equivalent to the prime minister.
Yunus’ first task was to bring stability to Bangladesh after he responded to a call by student protesters for him to temporarily lead the country following weeks of deadly anti-government demonstrations against the government led by Hasina.
Foreign Affairs adviser Hossain said that restoring law and order is the key priority of the interim government at the moment, and others will be back on track once the first goal is achieved.
Over 23o killed in post anti-Hasina protests aftermath
According to official figures, over 230 people were killed in Bangladesh in the violence which has engulfed the South Asian country following the fall of the Hasina government on Monday, taking the death toll to 560 since the anti-quota protests first started in mid-July.
A number of Hindu temples, households and businesses were vandalised, women assaulted and at least two Hindu leaders affiliated with the Awami League party headed by Hasina were killed in the violence in Bangladesh after she fled the country, according to two community leaders in Dhaka.y
On Thursday, Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said he stands against any racially based attacks amid violence against the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh.
“What we’ve made clear is we want to make sure that the violence that has been occurring in Bangladesh in recent weeks is tamped down. Certainly, we stand against any racially based attacks or racially based incitement to violence,” Haq said.
(With PTI inputs)