By Chaya Tithi*
Following the forced removal of Bangladesh’s democratically elected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, mobs rampaged across the country, targeting minorities, particularly Hindus, until a new interim government was installed.
Many supporters of the regime change, including Prof. Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and chief adviser to the interim government, said that “the reports of attacks on the minorities have been exaggerated.” He even invited “Indian journalists to visit Bangladesh and report from the ground on the issues of the minority protection.”
Prothom Alo which is among the most-read newspapers in Bangladesh has now given clear numbers that between August 5 and August 20, Bangladesh saw 1,068 houses and businesses belonging to minorities looted and vandalised.
The paper reports that in numerous areas, homes, businesses, and places of worship have been attacked, severely damaged, and in some cases, even set on fire. The majority of attacks occurred in the southwestern division of Khulna (Utsav Mandal’s area), where 295 homes and businesses of the minority community were destroyed. Other divisions also suffered significant damage, including 219 in Rangpur, 183 in Mymensingh, 155 in Rajshahi, 79 in Dhaka, 68 in Barishal, 45 in Chattogram, and 25 in Sylhet.
While, a public relations office of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Congregation Ahmad Tabsir Chowdhury told Prothom Alo, “We are not in politics, we are not involved with any party. I feel the attack was made upon us this time, taking advantage of the fact that the law enforcement was not active.”
Despite a global outcry against violence towards Bangladeshi Hindus and other minorities, the reports of attacks are still coming in from a nation with a serious law and order situation.
On Monday, September 9, a tragic incident occurred in the Samity neighbourhood of Cox’s Bazar, where a young boy (around 15 years) named Sukanta Dhar lost his life following a confrontation between two groups stemming from a football match. Eyewitnesses reported that teenager Sukanta Dhar was assaulted by his rival during a football match along with a woman who attempted to rescue him.
According to another local sources, Sukanta Dhar’s death was allegedly primarily attributed to his religious identity (Hindu), even though the initial conflict arose from a football match. It is important to highlight that following the collapse of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her administration on August 5, the Hindu community, supporters of the Awami League, and secular-progressive individuals in Bangladesh are facing oppression with the alleged backing of the current interim government.
Another Hindu teenager Utsav Mondal in Sonadanga, Khulna, found himself at the police station facing allegations of blasphemy. There was speculation on social media about his death as neither he nor his family could be located. However, on September 9, it was confirmed that Utsav Mandal is indeed alive but he may have lost his eyes.
In the current situation, there are many such reports of Awami League leaders and activists facing violence, allegedly with the complicity of the administration.
Currently, it has been reported that numerous individuals of the Hindu and Buddhist faiths, people with the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War and who hold a strong sense of Bangla culture, are also being allegedly forcefully evicted from their jobs and services.
Keeping in mind all the cases, it is imperative that Prof. Yunus takes swift and decisive action to ensure that law and order are maintained across the nation. Political analysts warn that the continued suppression of opposition voices risks destabilising the country, potentially allowing Islamic fundamentalists to gain influence during his leadership. As a global symbol of peace and progress, Dr Yunus must uphold democratic principles to safeguard the future of Bangladesh.
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Contributing Author: The contributing author who is a Bangladeshi-Australian has written this article under a *pen name to protect her identity.
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