Bangladesh LIVE: Yunus-led interim govt to be sworn in tomorrow

Terming attacks on minorities as “against the fundamental spirit” of the students’ movement, Transparency International Bangladesh has called on authorities to ensure the security of religious minorities and state assets in the violence-hit nation, media reports said on Wednesday (August 7).

Several Hindu temples, households and businesses have been vandalised and at least two Hindu leaders affiliated with Hasina’s Awami League party have been killed in the violence, according to two community leaders in Dhaka.

Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) “strongly condemned incidents of communal violence across districts, including attacks on homes, places of worship, mandirs, and businesses belonging to religious minorities during the critical period of regime change,” the Dhaka Tribune newspaper said.

Several Bangladeshis, who have come to Kolkata either for medical treatment or education or other purposes, are now stranded in the city and concerned about the ongoing violence and abrupt change of regime in their country.

The suspension of train services between India and Bangladesh has compounded their anxiety, and they are uncertain about their next steps.

The disruption in communication channels has resulted in distress as they are unable to check whether their loved ones back home are safe or not.

The ongoing turmoil in Bangladesh has resulted in a steep decline in the number of people coming for treatment at various hospitals in Kolkata from the neighbouring country, officials said. The decline has been consistent in the last one month since the unrest took a violent turn, they said.

"More than 180 Bangladeshi patients visit our hospital every day. The number has decreased to 84 today. It was 129 on Monday," Peerless Hospital CEO Sudipta Mitra told PTI.

Other private medical establishments like the Manipal Hospitals, Fortis Healthcare, and Apollo Hospitals have also witnessed a similar drop in the number of patients from the neighbouring country.

A top police official in Bangladesh has called on every member of the police force to resume their duties gradually and maintain public safety and law and order amidst reports of attacks on the law enforcement authorities in the violence-hit nation.

Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG) AKM Shahidur Rahman, who was appointed as the focal person of the Bangladesh Police on Tuesday (August 6) to handle the current crisis, asked his force to ignore rumours.

"The police are friends of the people and work for the public. We cannot imagine a society without the police. Therefore, I request our police members once again to ignore rumours and return to their duties in a phased manner, ensuring that security arrangements are properly in place," he said, emphasising the crucial role of the police in maintaining public safety.

Most police stations in the country, including the capital Dhaka, currently have no police personnel present, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

Multiple police officers have reported that over four hundred police stations across the country have experienced attacks, vandalism, arson, and looting. In this situation, no one feels safe staying in their respective stations or offices, leading everyone to seek safe shelters.

A police headquarters official mentioned that the police have not faced such a situation since 1971, the report said.