A minor altercation occurred between Bangladeshi Army personnel and Hindu demonstrators at the Jamuna State Guest House, where the interim government leader Muhammad Yunus is staying.
The demonstrators were displaying posters of relatives who disappeared amid the recent violence. Widespread protests have erupted in Bangladesh following a surge of attacks on Hindus after the recent turmoil.
Hindu community members organized a demonstration outside the Jamuna State Guest House in Dhaka, showcasing posters of missing family members. This coincided with Yunus’s visit to the historic Dhakeshwari Temple in the city, where he reassured the country’s minorities of their safety and security.
“Rights are equal for everyone. We are all one people with one right. Please, do not differentiate among us. Assist us, exercise patience, and judge later—what we managed to do and what not. If we fail, then you may criticize us,” he stated, as reported by the Daily Star. “In our quest for democracy, we should not be identified as Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists, but simply as human beings whose rights must be guaranteed. The root of all problems is the decay of institutional arrangements.”
On Tuesday, the Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance reported that the Hindu minority had suffered attacks and threats in 278 locations across 48 districts since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5, describing it as an “assault on the Hindu religion.” In response, over 300 Indian Americans and Hindus of Bangladeshi origin held a protest at Sugar Land City Hall in Houston to decry the violence against Hindus in Bangladesh.
Palash Kanti Dey, the spokesperson and executive secretary of the Alliance, stated, “The Hindu community has endured repeated incidents of vandalism, looting, arson, land grabbing, and threats to leave the country due to the shifting political landscape. These are not merely attacks on individuals but an assault on the Hindu religion itself.”
Previously, Yunus had condemned the attacks on Hindus and other minorities.
