Bangladesh admits 88 communal violence cases against minorities in 2.5 months

After insisting that the reports of communal violence were “misleading”, Bangladesh has acknowledged that 88 incidents of atrocities against minorities, primarily Hindus, did take place following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina in August.

Interim government head Muhammad Yunus’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam has also said that 70 people have been arrested in relation with those incidents.

New incidents of violence reported

Alam made the disclosure on Tuesday (December 10), a day after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri flagged “regrettable incidents” of attacks on minorities and conveyed India’s concerns, including those related to the safety and welfare of minorities, during his meetings with the Bangladeshi leadership.

A total of 88 cases have been filed in incidents related to minorities from August 5 to October 22, Alam told reporters. “The number of cases and arrests is likely to increase as new incidents of violence have also been reported in (northeastern Sunamganj, (central) Gazipur, and other areas,” he said.

He added that there might be cases where some victims were members of the previous ruling party, Awami League.

Some attacks targeted Awami League members

The Bangladesh government had so far insisted that other than a few incidents, Hindus were not attacked because of their faiths.

“Some attacks targeted individuals who were former members of the ruling party or they were the result of personal disputes. Nevertheless, since violence occurred, the police are taking appropriate action,” he said.

Also read: Bangladesh wants ‘no interference’ in its affairs as India raises minority attacks issue

Alam said that details regarding the incidents that took place after October 22 will be shared soon.

There has been a spate of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities, as well as attacks on temples in Bangladesh in the last few weeks that triggered strong concerns in New Delhi.

US seeks peaceful resolution

In a related development, the United States has said that it wants India and Bangladesh to resolve their differences peacefully. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miler said this at his daily news conference on Tuesday.

“We want to see all parties resolve their disagreements peacefully,” Miler said, responding to a question on the recent visit of India’s foreign secretary to Bangladesh.

Protests across India

On Tuesday, members of various Hindu organisations and civil society groups staged protests across India against attacks on community members in Bangladesh.

While hundreds of people from various outfits, including the RSS, held a protest march at Delhi’s Chanakyapuri, a similar rally was taken out in Lucknow condemning the attacks on Hindus in the neighbouring country.

At Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh, protesters marched to the deputy commissioner’s office to show solidarity with the Hindus in Bangladesh, while in Jammu, a large number of protesters took to the streets demanding the intervention of the Centre and the United Nations in the matter.

Similar protests, which coincided with world Human Rights Day, were also staged in Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Ranchi, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar and Kolkata, among other places.

Also read: ‘Conveyed our concerns about safety of minorities’: Foreign Secretary Misri in Dhaka

Security beefed up outside Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi

In Delhi, security was stepped up outside the Bangladesh High Commission in Chankyapuri where a large number protesters gathered to raise the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh.

Demanding the intervention of United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in the matter, the protesters carrying placards called upon Bangladesh to stop the alleged “genocide” of Hindus in the country.

Several personalities, including Sadhvi Ritambhara, Keshav Murari from ISKCON, former Delhi Police Commissioner SN Srivastava, ex-Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Veena Sikri, and Buddhist spiritual leader Rahul Bhante, among others, addressed the rally.

A memorandum was also submitted to the Bangladesh High Commissioner by the members of Civil Society of Delhi, emphasising the historically strong and cordial relations between India and Bangladesh, a statement said.

Rallies organised

In Jammu, a rally organised by Deshbhakt Sarva Samaj saw the participation of hundreds of people from various walks of life, including members of Hindu outfits like Sanatan Dharma Sabha, Vishva Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Sant Samaj, among others.

In another protest, hundreds of demonstrators marched peacefully to Dogra Chowk raising slogans against Bangladesh.

In Himachal Pradesh, A large number of protesters also took to the streets in Dharamsala showing solidarity with the Hindus in Bangladesh. A delegation of protesters later submitted a memorandum to the Kangra district commissioner at his office where the rally concluded.

Also read: 'Fundamentalist threats against our devotees increasing in Bangladesh': ISKCON

Retired HC judge leads Rajasthan rally

In Rajasthan, a delegation of intellectuals submitted a memorandum to Governor Haribhau Kisanrao Bagade in Jaipur.

The delegation, led by retired Rajasthan High Court Chief Justice NK Jain, accused the Bangladesh government of turning a blind eye to the violence, and supporting radical elements.

The memorandum also claimed that Hindus in Bangladesh are being coerced into religious conversions, and those resisting are facing severe persecution.

Military veterans, academics and former government officials presented the memorandum on behalf of 40 intellectuals from various fields.

Human chain in Ahmedabad

In Ahmedabad, hundreds of citizens formed more than a kilometre-long human chain along the Sabarmati riverfront denouncing the alleged attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.

People from different walks of life, including religious leaders and Hindu seers, formed the human chain in response to a call given by the Hindu Heet Raksha Samiti, a release issued by the Vishwa Samvad Kendra of the RSS said.

Similar protests were also held in Ranchi and Bhubaneswar, where a large number of protesters expressed solidarity with the members of the minority communities in Bangladesh.

Hindus constitute about 8 per cent of Bangladesh’s 170 million population.

(With agency inputs)