The largest minority group in Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, has accused the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh of using important state institutions to carry out discriminatory actions against minorities. The group in its accusations adds that the government has failed to protect religious and ethnic minorities from attacks and harassment in the country. However, the government has consistently denied the claim. The council claims that 2,010 incidents of communal violence took place across the Muslim-majority country between August 4 and 20. Disputing the claim, the Yunus-led government says that most of the incidents were caused by “political reasons” and not by communal issues.
Incidents of communal violence saw multiple deaths: Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council
The council underscored in a news conference that 174 new incidents of communal violence had taken place between August 21 and December 31 last year, which saw the deaths of 23 members of minority groups killed and nine women raped.
Other incidents against minorities include arson, vandalism, looting, and forcible takeover of property and businesses. It added that at least 15 members of minority groups were either arrested or tortured for allegedly undermining Islam.
After Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power in Bangladesh, the Yunus-led government is accused of undermining minority rights as Bangladesh has been going through a tense period with Hindu-majority India over minority issues, sparking protests and counter-protests.
Interim government unhappy over Hasina's asylum in India
Importantly, several members of the interim government are also unhappy over the fact that India is sheltering Hasina, and a special tribunal in Bangladesh has sought her arrest. An official request to India for her extradition remains unanswered.
In 1971, India gave shelter to 10 million refugees and assisted Bangladesh in gaining independence, which took a nine-month war against Pakistan. Notably, New Delhi considers Hasina to be a trusted friend. Hasina's father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was the independence leader of Bangladesh, then the eastern part of Pakistan, India's regional adversary.
Last year, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took over after a student-led uprising last year in which hundreds of people died forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India on August 5, ending her 15-year rule.
(With inputs from PTI)
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