'Can't you save...': Muhammad Yunus condemns violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, terms attacks 'heinous'

Amid the ongoing violence against the Hindu community in Bangladesh triggered by the exile of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, noble laureate Muhammad Yunus, who has been appointed as the head of the interim gvernment, condemned the attacks and termed it 'heinous'.

As per several media reports, the Hindu community in Bangladesh spent anxious hours following the resignation of Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina as Prime Minister last week.

Noble peace laureate, Muhammad Yunus has condemned the attack against the Hindu community, terming it 'heinous'. 

"Are they not the people of this country? You (students) have been able to save this country; can't you save some families?" Yunus asked the students while delivering an address at a Bangladeshi university. 

He further affirmed that the people of Bangladesh would stay united. 

"We fought unitedly and we will stay united", said the noble laureate, adding the atrocities against the Hindus and the other minority communities are 'heinous'. 

The protests which started as a call for abolition of the quota system, which provided for 30% reservation in government jobs to the veterans of the 1971 Bangladesh war, later turned into violent attacks against the Hindu community by the Islamist extremist groups. The media reports have said that several Hindu temples across the country, including an International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISCKON) temple in Meherpur, based in Bangladesh's Khulna division, were targeted and vandalised amid the unrest. 

A spokesperson of the ISCKON stated that not only did the mob vandalize the temple but burnt deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladev, and Subhadra Devi.

The Indira Gandhi cultural centre, located in capital city Dhaka, was also vandalised by the unruly mob and was burnt.

The cultural centre, named after former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, promoted cultural exchange between India and Bangladesh.

Moreover, chaotic scenes were witnessed as the miscreants attacked and burnt the residence of Mashrafe Mortaza, ex-captain of the Bangladesh cricket team, as reported by The Dhaka Tribune. The residence was located in the Narail constituency of the Khulna District of the country. 

As per media reports, Hindus, which are the mionority community in Bangladesh, have faced discrimination and persecution for a long time.

In 2021, after the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the country, several Islamist extremists targeted several temples across the country as they accused the former of 'discriminating' against the Muslim community in India.

In addition, former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina has also been accused of being ' extremely close' to India, leading to conflicts and disagreements within the country.

The 2022 census report suggest that Hindus constitute 7.95% of the total population, as against 8.54% and 9.60% in 2011 and 2001 respectively.

As many as 232 people have reportedly died in various attacks across Bangladesh while at least 205 incidents of attacks against the minorities across 52 districts have emerged since August 5 this year, followed by the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government. 

Media reports have suggested that over 100 Hinuds including the other minoities have fallen prey to the violent attacks post the fall of the previous government in the country.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also urged Muhammad Yunus to ensure safety and protection of the Hindu community and other minority communities. 

Taking to 'X', PM Modi wrote, "My best wishes to Professor Muhammad Yunus on the assumption of his new responsibilities. We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities."

My best wishes to Professor Muhammad Yunus on the assumption of his new responsibilities. We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities. India remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfill the…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 8, 2024

He also affirmed that India would remain committed to working with the neighboring country in order to fulfil the shared aspirations of people. 

"India remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfill the shared aspirations of both our peoples for peace, security and development", he added.