Protests have erupted in Bangladesh over communal violence that has been reported following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the swearing-in of an interim government.
Hasina resigned last Monday and fled to India after weeks of nationwide student demonstrations over a quota system for government jobs, which was criticized for favoring people with connections to Hasina’s Awami League party.
The protests started peacefully but quickly turned violent, reportedly resulting in more than 400 deaths. An interim government was sworn in on Thursday with Mohammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner known for pioneering the concepts of microcredit and microfinance, as its chief adviser – a position equivalent to prime minister.
Dozens of Hindus have been injured in attacks on their homes and businesses since Hasina’s departure, according to reports in Bangladeshi and Indian media. Hindus make up about 9% of the population in Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation. The Hindu community has historically supported Sheikh Hasina’s predominantly secular Awami League party, which has fostered close ties with New Delhi in the past decade.
Over the weekend, hundreds of thousands of people participated in rallies in Dhaka and Chittagong, the two largest cities, to demand the safety of Hindus and punishment for those who attack them, local media reported. The protesters demanded the allocation of 10% of parliamentary seats for minorities, and the enactment of a minority protection law.
Yunus has condemned the attacks against Hindus, describing them as “heinous.” He has urged students at the forefront of the protests to protect Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist families from harm. On Sunday, the interim cabinet said in its first official statement that it had noted attacks on religious minorities in some places “with grave concern.”
Similar protests have taken place in neighboring India, where there is a Hindu majority. New Delhi has also set up a special committee to monitor alleged attacks against Hindus and the situation along the country’s 4,000km border with Bangladesh. Amid the spiraling violence, Indian security forces have stopped dozens of people from crossing the border.
While congratulating Yunus on his appointment as the leader of the interim government, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called for the protection of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.
Protests have also been held in the US to condemn the alleged atrocities. On Sunday, around 300 Indian Americans and Bangladeshi-origin Hindus gathered at Sugar Land City Hall in Houston to protest. On Friday, a large number of people protested outside the White House in Washington, demanding justice for minorities in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, several outlets in Bangladesh have suggested that some clips shared on social media purportedly showing violence against Hindus had been taken out of context or were completely ‘false,” and were amplified by the Indian media. Prothom Alo newspaper on Sunday reported, citing a few examples, that some cases of alleged assaults on the Hindu community highlighted by Indian media were false.
According to Bangladeshi media, since the government's fall on August 5, the police have vanished from the streets, creating a law-and-order vacuum, particularly in the capital city Dhaka, where students were seen directing traffic. An AFP report noted that police had vowed not to resume work until their safety on duty was guaranteed after 42 officers were killed during the protests. However, since Monday, police resumed patrols of the capital.
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