As per the reports, the new government has issued an order exempting ‘demonstrators’ from punishment for acts committed between July 15th and August 8th.
This move has created controversy, with many believing it undermines responsibility for violent acts executed during the period of instability.
There have also been calls for clarification on the scope of the immunity ruling, with fears that it may shield persons involved in major crimes.
Hundreds were killed in the ‘student-led’ movement that deposed Bangladesh’s leader Sheikh Hasina, but those affected by the violence fear that the new authorities’ pledge of justice will not include them.
“A new journey toward a nondiscriminatory Bangladesh has begun with the fall of an autocratic and fascist government. Students and citizens who put forth all efforts to make this uprising successful will not face prosecution, arrest, or harassment for their acts between July 15 and August 8,” the official statement by the Home Ministry read.
It is important to note that the minority community in Bangladesh consisting of the Hindus, Muslim Ahmadiya Sufi sect, Buddhists, and Christians have faced brutal attacks after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.
On 5th August, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, resigned from her post and fled the country amidst violent protests that were allegedly led by the students.
Following her exit, the Bangladeshi Army took over and soon an interim government under Muhammed Yunus took charge of the country. Meanwhile, Bangladeshi Hindus started to get targeted by Islamists across the country.
Initially, the Bangladeshi daily The Daily Star reported that Hindus were attacked in at least 27 districts spread to 40+ districts over time.
OpIndia has been consistently reporting attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh despite the vicious propaganda to prove that Hindus have been safe in the neighbouring country.
Notably, attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh were not uncommon and there have been several reports where Hindus, their temples, and shops have been targeted in the country.
Islamists burnt Hindu homes, they targeted Hindu temples across the country. The Islamists also targeted Hindu women and murdered minority community people after the fall of the Hasina-led government.
Initially, 54 such targeted attacks were reported. Later several such attacks on minorities at the hands of Islamists continued to happen. Details of these attacks can be read here.
These incidents happened within 5 hours. The genocide is still going on.
— Voice of Bangladeshi Hindus 🇧🇩 (@VHindus71) August 5, 2024
It could be more than that.#AllEyesOnBangladeshiHindus pic.twitter.com/voPqyV4i2a
Notably, Muslim Ahmadiya Sufi sects were also targeted, their people were attacked and their homes were burned to ashes. While these attacks happened, the police there blamed the ‘student’ protestors and forced more than 700 people to go into hiding to save their lives. The political turmoil in Bangladesh also cost the lives of around 46 officers who were lynched by the Islamist mob. Despite this, the police instead of taking action against the protestors became busy investigating the old regime, and dozens of Hasina’s allies have to date been arrested. An arrest warrant against Hasina has also been issued while the woman continues to stay in hiding.
Recently, Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor to the interim government in Bangladesh talked about the onslaught against the Hindus in Bangladesh and said that the events were ‘exaggerated’. Yunus said that the violence against Hindu minorities was not communal, but a ‘result of Hindus becoming synonymous with the deposed Awami League in the eyes of the attackers.’
Yunus further tried to contextualize the Islamist violence against the Hindu minority saying that he had told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that there were several ‘dimensions’ to the issue. “I have said this to Modi also that this is exaggerated. This issue has several dimensions. When the country went through an upheaval following the atrocities by (Sheikh) Hasina and the Awami League, those who were with them also faced attacks,” Yunus was quoted as saying.
Here's what Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh's interim government, told PTI on Hasina fleeing to India and other related topics, including India-Bangladesh ties. (n/7)#MuhammadYunusSpeaksToPTI pic.twitter.com/ooJLNkDQAl
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 5, 2024
He completely whitewashed the attacks on Hindus and further advised the latter to not identify themselves as Hindus but as Bangladeshis to stay safe. What protection would a leader give to the persecuted Bangladeshi Hindus when he is advising them to hide their religious identity and simply identify as Bangladeshi citizens? Why can’t Hindus of Bangladesh identify themselves as Hindu citizens of Bangladesh, still be safe, and lead a dignified life, if at all the ongoing anti-Hindu violence is ‘political’ in nature and not communal?
Instead of acting tough on the Islamists, Yunus wants Hindus to disassociate themselves from their Hindu religious identity. By downplaying the religious motivation behind the anti-Hindu violence and calling such incidents ‘exaggerated’, Yunus blatantly supports the violence while pretending to be a ‘savior’.
Muhammad Yunus should answer if the violence against Hindus was politically driven why were Hindu temples attacked, why the idols of Hindu deities smashed, and why Jamat-e-Islami prepared a list of Hindu houses to single them out and attack. While it is true that several Muslim leaders of the Awami League were also attacked and lynched, the Islamists did not destroy any mosques as ‘political revenge’, why only temples? Notably, some Sufi dargahs were said to have been vandalised, however, it also proves the point that the violent mob was driven by Islamic extremism which is fundamentally intolerant towards any perceived form of idol worship.
Reportedly, following the attacks, Hindus came down to the streets to protest against the atrocities. Protests erupted in Shahbag in Dhaka, Shariatpur, Chittagong, Barishal, Dinajpur, Mymensingh, and other places, demanding protection of religious minorities in the country that is soon becoming an Islamic fundamentalist state under the interim govt.
The Hindus demanded the formation of a ministry for minority communities, the establishment of a minority protection commission, formation and implementation of strict laws to prevent all kinds of attacks on minorities. The protesting Hindus also called for allocating 10 percent of seats in the national parliament for minorities.
Hindus in Bangladesh have not only been attacked after Hasina’s government fall but minorities have been targeted for decades. Recently, the Hindus were also targeted during the Durga Puja celebrations. Several Hindu idols were vandalized, and processions were attacked leading to a rise in communal tensions in the country.
The current interim government is just pretending to be standing behind the minorities, but in reality, it supports activities that result in massive suffering of the minority communities in Bangladesh. The current decision by the state to not penalize the protestors by granting an immunity shield to the protest participants is just another instance that exposes the interim government against the Hindus.
