WITH THE Hindu minority in Bangladesh facing attacks in the last week, after Sheikh Hasina resigned as Prime Minister and fled to India on August 5, Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, who is heading the interim government, reached out on Tuesday with a visit to the Dhakeshwari Temple where he met community leaders and assured “justice” and “equal rights” for all. “Rights are equal for everyone. We are all one people with one right. Do not make any distinctions among us. Please assist us. Exercise patience, and later judge - what we were able to do and not do. If we fail, then criticise us,” Yunus said, after meeting minority leaders. He said the administration would work towards a situation where Hindus and other minorities don't have to fear for their safety. According to minority organisations, there have been at least five deaths and 205 incidents of attacks on Hindus in over 50 districts since the fall of the Hasina government on August 5. On August 8, as Yunus was sworn in, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had extended his best wishes and urged him to ensure “the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities”. This direct reference to the safety of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh underlined Delhi’s expectations from the new players in Dhaka. “In our democratic aspirations, we should not be seen as Muslims, Hindus or Buddhists, but as human beings. Our rights should be ensured. The root of all problems lies in the decay of institutional arrangements. That is why such issues arise. Institutional arrangements need to be fixed,” Yunus said on Tuesday. “We have to establish human rights and freedom of speech. That is our prime goal,” he said. Addressing the Hindu community, he said: “You just say you are human, you are citizens of Bangladesh, this is my constitutional right, and you have to ensure it. You just demand this, nothing else. I am here to say we are all equal, there is no scope to create any differences here.” The interim government has set up a hotline for people to provide information about attacks on Hindu temples, churches, pagodas or any other religious institutions. Hindu community leaders said Yunus assured that “justice will be given to all” and he will work towards a situation where Hindus and other minority communities don't have to fear for their safety. Speaking to The Indian Express, Basudeb Dhar, president of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and one of the top Hindu minority leaders, said Yunus conveyed that the administration would ensure justice for those from the community who faced attacks, and work towards creating an atmosphere where Hindu temples, businesses and houses don’t have to look for additional security. Sitting at the Dhakeshwari Temple, one of the most revered temples in Bangladesh, Dhar said the attacks on Hindu establishments began on August 4 evening, and intensified the next day. He said the attacks were widespread, as over 50 of the total 64 districts of Bangladesh were affected. “The number of 205 (incidents of attacks) is also expected to increase since more incidents are being reported…we are compiling the list,” Dhar said. In many places, local Muslim groups were taking the “initiative” to protect some temples, including the Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka, he said. “These are positive developments and will help secure the peace,” Dhar said. While Dhaka has witnessed some attacks, most have happened in villages and in the hinterland, especially in the border areas. A key reason behind the attacks was the absence of the police over the last week - most have abandoned the police stations for fear of retribution by student protesters. The result: no police FIRs or complaints could be filed in many cases, and the community was left defenceless. The reports of attacks have reinforced a sense of insecurity and foreboding among the Hindu community which, at about 8 per cent, is the largest minority population in the country of 170 million people. About 91.04% of Bangladeshis are Muslims, and the remaining 9 per cent comprises Hindus (7.95%), Buddhists (0.61%), Christians (0.30%) and others (0.12%), as per the 2022 Census. There is also a political dimension to the issue. Speaking to The Indian Express, a Hindu minority leader said that many of the Hindu families were targeted for being politically affiliated with the Awami League; some were attacked because people were looking for an “opportunity” in the absence of law and order; and they looted and robbed households. There were some incidents that were traced back to old property disputes as well. Community leaders said they are going to “observe” the situation over the next few weeks and months, since fear may lead people to migrate to India. “That is a real possibility in the future,” a Hindu leader said.
