The string of violence that broke out following the ouster of elected Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 5th August, has continued unabashedly for several weeks in Bangladesh. Violent Islamist mobs have been targeting Hindus and other religious minorities in the country. They have also forced several Hindu academicians and teachers to resign from their jobs. Now, in an exclusive ground report from Bangladesh, ‘Dainik Bhaskar’ has highlighted the ongoing plight of the Hindu community. The ground report also sheds light on the real extent of threats the Hindu community has been facing in Bangladesh for the past several weeks.
The Hindus, facing religious persecution in Bangladesh, have pleaded with India to grant them visas. They have lamented that they don’t want to live in fear, and if India doesn’t heed their request, they will cross the country’s border without visas. It is pertinent to note that there are 1.35 crore Hindus in Bangladesh which has a total population of around 17 crores. Gopalganj (26%), Maulvi Bazar (24%), Thakurgaon (22%) and Jasore (20%) have the highest number of Hindu population. Out of these, Jasore is said to be the stronghold of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
बांग्लादेशी हिंदू बोले- हमसे पैसे, गोल्ड, लड़कियां मांग रहे कट्टरपंथी: डर-डर कर नहीं जीना, भारत वीजा नहीं देगा तो बॉर्डर पार करेंगे
— Dainik Bhaskar (@DainikBhaskar) August 24, 2024
पूरा वीडियो देखने के लिए लिंक पर क्लिक करें-https://t.co/FYgKJkielf#BangaldeshUnderAttack #BangladeshProtests #groundreport By @vaibhavdamoh pic.twitter.com/unoiD4De6r
Speaking with Dainik Bhaskar Correspondent Vaibhav Palnitkar, who is currently in Bangladesh, a Hindu man from Jasore said that on 15th August, around 10-12 bike-born assailants started gathering around his house. The assailants were armed with sharp weapons like knives, hammers, and sickles. But they left the area after they realised that he was not at home. This happened twice as the bike-borne assailants came back again. Later, they started calling him and issuing threats. Fearing for his life, his family asked him to hide at a relative’s place. For safety concerns, the Hindu man from Jasore asked not to reveal his identity.
There is an ashram in the area and two Hindus are doing fish farming here. They told Dainik Bhaskar correspondent Vaibhav Palnitkar that they have been receiving threats stating that if they don’t give Rs 2-3 lakh, their sons will be kidnapped. They added that the callers also hurl abuses at them. They said that they received a call from a village in which the caller asked them to settle the matter by paying them money if they wanted to be spared. They also gave Rs 15,000 to a Jamaat-e-Islami henchman. They lamented that they didn’t have any future in Bangladesh and wanted to sell all their land and property and settle in India. They are not able to work anymore.
A Hindu man working in a fish farming company said that the company owner has been receiving threats, forcing the owner to go into hiding. Because of this development, they have been asked to anyhow extort money from their owner, otherwise their cows will be taken away. They have been receiving these threats from persons who are known to them. These persons are also linked with the BNP. They have been asking Hindus to give them money, gold, and girls.
Facing persecution, the Hindus stated that many Hindu girls have been sexually assaulted and raped but they are not able to share their ordeal.
Another person who has given money to a BNP henchman said that they don’t have any faith in the new government. He added that Hindus are now unable to get jobs in Bangladesh. He stated that government representatives have been troubling them, and there is no trace of the army or the police. A primary teacher was also attacked. They have been forced to flee for their safety. They have been compelled to protect Hindu temples from getting attacked or vandalised. Even the police officers are refraining from meeting Hindu victims. Many police stations are running with the help of the army.
Horrific visuals of anti-Hindu violence by the Islamists from #Bangladesh.
— Hindu Voice (@HinduVoice_in) August 24, 2024
Islamists vandalised, set ablaze and looted many Hindu temples in Akashnil village under Pirganj Upazila of Thakurgaon district.
Temples were vandalised. All the Murtis(idol) were vandalised. Temples… pic.twitter.com/7qVTCrERbT
Another student said that houses of minorities in Bangladesh have been marked and extortion is being demanded from them. The parents of the said student are elderly and live in Chittagong. After doing Engineering from a college in Maharashtra, he is working in Dhaka. His family has been asked to leave Bangladesh. A caller who identified himself as a member of an Islamic group demanded 5 lakh Takas over the phone. Other Hindus are also receiving such threatening phone calls.
