Bangladesh unrest: A minor clash broke between Bangladeshi Army personnel and Hindu protesters who were demonstrators with posters of their family members who went missing during the recent violence at the Jamuna State Guest House, where interim government chief Muhammad Yunus is currently residing. There have been widespread protests in Bangladesh amid rampant attacks on Hindus after the recent unrest.
Members of the Hindu community held a protest outside Jamuna State Guest House in Dhaka, holding posters of their family members. This came as Yunus paid a visit to the historic Dhakeshwari Temple in the capital, where he assured minorities in Bangladesh of their safety and security in the country.
"Rights are equal for everyone. We are all one people with one right. Do not make any distinctions among us. Please, assist us. Exercise patience, and later judge -- what we were able to do and not. If we fail, then criticise us," he was quoted as saying by the Daily Star. "In our democratic aspirations, we should not be seen as Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists, but as human beings. Our rights should be ensured. The root of all problems lies in the decay of institutional arrangements."
Hindus, who make up about 8% of Bangladesh's population of 170 million, have traditionally supported Hasina's Awami League party, which sparked people's anger after violent clashes between anti-quota protesters and security forces last month. The office of the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it stands against any "racially-based attacks".
278 attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh
The rampant attacks on the Hindu minorities in Bangladesh following massive protests over government job quotas has evoked global concern. 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 community leaders in Dhaka.
The Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance on Tuesday said the minority Hindu community faced attacks and threats in 278 locations across 48 districts since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5, terming it an “assault on the Hindu religion.” Over 300 Indian Americans and Bangladeshi-origin Hindus staged a protest at Sugar Land City Hall in Houston on Sunday over violence against Hindus in Bangladesh.
"The incidents of vandalism, looting, arson, land grabbing, and threats to leave the country have been repeatedly inflicted on the Hindu community due to the shifting political landscape," said Palash Kanti Dey, the Alliance's spokesperson and executive secretary. "This is not just an attack on individuals but an assault on the Hindu religion."
Yunus had earlier called the attacks on the minority communities 'heinous' and urged the protesting students to protect all Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist families from harm. He reached out to the agitating and urged them not to let their efforts be sabotaged by those seeking to undermine their progress
(with inputs from agencies)
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