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A report analysing the actions and missteps of Bangladesh’s interim government has exposed Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus-led regime, as it noted that “religious and ethnic minorities, and marginalised communities”, became the “victims of violence” during the first 100 days of the army-backed regime.
The report by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), the Bangladesh branch of the Berlin-based civil society organisation, also noted that those with dissenting opinions have faced violence after violent protests compelled PM Seikh Hasina to flee on August 5.
Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus had earlier downplayed the reports of violence against Bangladesh’s Hindus.
Under the ‘law and order’ column, the report, citing Eykya Parishad, noted that “2,010 incidents of communal violence occurred between August 5 and 20” that resulted in ‘the death of nine people of a minority community’. Eykya Parishad is a short form of the human rights non-profit organisation, Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council.
The report by TIB also said that the influence of religion-based politics is increasing in Bangladesh and noted the security concerns that were raised during Durga Puja celebrations in October.
The minority Hindu community in Bangladesh, that became easy targets of Islamist forces after Hasina’s Awami League government was toppled, celebrated their biggest festival, Durga Puja, under the shadow of threats.
In the eastern city of Chattogram, a Hindu monk and 18 other Hindus were charged with sedition over saffron flags, in a case seemingly aimed at dismantling the leadership spearheading a movement seeking guarantees for minorities in the Muslim-majority country.
The November 18 report criticised the Muhammad Yunus-led government for the lack of effective investigation in cases of violence against religious minorities and dissenters.
MUHAMMAD YUNUS GOVERNMENT DIDN’T PROBE ALLEGATIONS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST MINORITIES
In the first 100 days, the report said, there was a “lack of effective initiatives to identify, verify, and investigate allegations of violence against religious minorities, indigenous peoples, marginalised communities, and those with dissenting opinions, as well as to take appropriate action”.
Several cultural events in at least 22 places in Bangladesh were disrupted, including attacks on art academies and bans on exhibitions and fairs, the report said.
There have been reports that Muhammad Yunus’s interim government increasingly tended to yield to student pressure. The TIB report also noted that, despite prioritising reforms, some students lacked a firm stance and political tolerance.
Minority communities, including the Hindus, saw at least 205 attacks, including five killings, in the first three days of chaos after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime in Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad shared these figures in an open letter addressed to Muhammad Yunus, the head of an interim government.
Tens of thousands of Hindus have hit the streets and are demanding protection amid a wave of attacks on homes, businesses, and religious sites.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President-elect Donald Trump have criticised the attacks on Hindus and spoke about the need to protect them. Instead of acting wisely, Bangladesh cracked down on people who gathered on the streets to celebrate Trump’s victory.
Muhammad Yunus has called the allegations, “an exaggerated propaganda” with political motives aimed at destabilising the nation. The Transparency International report, however, exposes the failure of the army-backed Yunus government when it comes to protecting minorities and punishing perpetrators.