East Pakistan: Under global pressure, Dhaka admits 88 attacks on Hindus
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: As pressure on Bangladesh mounted on the issue of ongoing atrocities on the Hindu minorities, Dhaka has confirmed at least 88 attacks on the community, its shrines, and properties, since August 5 when Islamists ousted elected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed and installed Mohammed Yunus as “chief advisor” to the interim government.
Yunus, supported by the American Democrats, was ‘decorated’ with a Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.
But this may not be a climb down as Bangladesh—known as East Pakistan from 1947 to 1971–is fast-befriending its erstwhile big brother, Pakistan, with which it has revived defense and business deals while deliberating causing harm to Indian interests and following Islamabad’s policies—except merging back with Pakistan, for now.
After ongoing protests across India and overseas, and those of the Indian Americans at the White House on Monday, Indian-Canadians also took out a march against the Hindus’ “genocide” in Bangladesh, the media reported on Wednesday.
Bangladesh’s acknowledgment of attacks on Hindus came a day after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri became the first Indian official to visit Dhaka on Monday in five months, and met his counterpart and other officials, conveying India’s grave concerns.
On Tuesday, Dhaka admitted 88 incidents of communal violence targeting minorities, mainly Hindus, after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.
The Interim government head, Muhammad Yunus’ press secretary, Shafiqul Alam, also said 70 people have been arrested in connection with the communal violence incidents.
Alam told reporters that a total of 88 cases have been registered in incidents involving minorities between August 5 and October 22, 2024. He did not say what happened thereafter, including the imprisonment of a Hindu monk.
“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.”
Some victims could have been members of the previous ruling party, Awami League, he claimed, adding, except for a few incidents, the Hindus were not targeted because of their faith.
“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,” Alam added.
Bangladesh, where Islamic fundamentalists led by the notorious Jamaat-e-Islami, now control the Yunus government, has witnessed hundreds of incidents of violence against the Hindus and other minorities in the last five months, triggering strong concerns in India and overseas.
Even US President-elect Donald Trump flagged these atrocities and is likely to take action after his inauguration on January 20, 2025. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerji, who is wary of the fallout in her state, has also warned Bangladesh.
Misri visited Dhaka on Monday for the annual foreign office consultations with officials amid unprecedented strain in bilateral ties over the targeting of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority and the arrest of monk Chinmoy Krishna Das on alleged charges of treason.
He also met the de facto foreign minister Touhid Hossain and caretaker PM Muhammad Yunus.
