Hindus were not attacked; only Awami League members targeted: VHP leader in Bangladesh
As violence continues, VHP leaders in Bangladesh said Hindus are not being persecuted and the attacks motivated by political vendetta were on Awami League functionaries
A top leader of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Bangladesh has allayed fears of any kind of minority persecution in the country after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation on Monday (August 5).
VHP’s Bangladesh general secretary Gobinda Pramanik made the assertion amidst reports of sporadic attacks on Hindus across Bangladesh and videos circulated on social media showing places of worship belonging to minorities being gutted. The videos could not be independently verified by The Federal.
“Hindus were apprehensive of a repercussion after Sheikh Hasina was ousted by a mass uprising because they are considered to be Awami League’s vote bank," Pramanik told The Federal.
People gather in front of the ransacked Awami League's central office in the aftermath of the prime minister's resignation, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on August 6, 2024. Photo: EPA-EFE via PTI
Political vendetta
“There were a few incidents of attacks against minorities yesterday. But those were primarily targeted against Awami League functionaries and cannot be perceived as an attack against minorities,” he said, adding that even Muslim Awami League leaders were targeted.
The residence of the food minister in Hasina’s government, Sadhan Chandra Majumder, was vandalised in Naogaon on Monday.
Pramanik described such attacks as political vendetta and not communal violence.
Protection to minorities
He added that Hindu organisations, which were on alert in coordination with BNP-Jamaat leadership, immediately intervened to ensure that there was no major convulsion.
BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders last evening gave directives to their members and cadres to give protection to minority communities and their places of worship, Pramanik said.
“Members of the minority communities have been staying guard against any possible attacks on minorities since last evening. Due to such vigil, no untoward incident has been reported from any part of the country today,” the VHP leader added.
He also ruled out the possibility of any exodus of minorities from Bangladesh as feared by some BJP leaders in West Bengal.
For BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari had warned that at least one crore Hindus would now take shelter in West Bengal and the state government should be prepared for that.
Violence continues
Meanwhile, Bangladesh continues to be on the edge as violence continues even today, with protestors targeting government properties, Awami League offices, and leaders.
At least 135 people were killed in police firings, mob attacks and arson across the country, as per Bangladesh’s media reports.
There is not much change in the situation even 24 hours after Hasina resigned.