Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh not communal, issue 'exaggerated': Yunus

Dhaka: Chief Adviser to Bangladesh's interim government, Muhammad Yunus, has said the issue of attacks on minority Hindus in his country is “exaggerated” and questioned the manner in which India projected it.

In an interview with PTI at his official residence here, Yunus said the attacks on minorities in Bangladesh are more political than communal.

He suggested that the attacks were not communal, but a fallout of a political upheaval as there is a perception that most Hindus supported the now-deposed Awami League regime.

“I have said this to (Prime Minister Narendra) 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,” the Nobel laureate told PTI.

The minority Hindu population faced vandalism of their businesses and properties, as well as the destruction of Hindu temples, during the student-led violence that erupted following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

After unprecedented anti-government protests that peaked on August 5, Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled to India.

“Now, while beating up Awami League cadres, they had beaten up Hindus as there is a perception that Hindus in Bangladesh mean Awami League supporters. I am not saying that what has happened is right, but some people are using it as an excuse to seize property. So, there is no clear distinction between Awami League supporters and Hindus,” he said.

In his first direct contact with New Delhi last month, shortly after becoming the head of Bangladesh's interim government, Yunus conveyed to Prime Minister Modi that Dhaka would prioritise the protection and safety of Hindus and all other minority groups.

During the conversation, Modi reaffirmed India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful, and progressive Bangladesh and emphasised the importance of ensuring the safety of Hindus and other minority communities in the violence-hit country.

Hindus, who made up 22 per cent of Bangladesh's population at the time of the 1971 Liberation War, now constitute about 8 per cent of 170 million and have predominantly supported the Awami League, known for its secular stance.

Describing the attacks as more political than communal, Yunus questioned the manner in which India is “propagating” them.

“These attacks are political in nature and not communal. And India is propagating these incidents in a big way. We have not said that we can’t do anything; we have said that we are doing everything,” the Chief Adviser said.

Prime Minister Modi, in his Independence Day address from the Red Fort on August 15, expressed hope that the situation in violence-hit Bangladesh would return to normal soon and said 1.4 billion Indians are concerned about the safety of Hindus and minorities in the neighbouring country.

Discussing the future of India-Bangladesh relations, Yunus expressed a desire for good ties with India but insisted that New Delhi must abandon the narrative that Bangladesh will turn into another Afghanistan without Sheikh Hasina at the helm.

“The way forward is for India to come out of the narrative. The narrative is that everybody is Islamist, BNP is Islamist, and everyone else is Islamist and will make this country into Afghanistan. And Bangladesh is in safe hands with Sheikh Hasina at the helm only.

“India is captivated by this narrative. India needs to come out of this narrative. Bangladesh, like any other nation, is just another neighbour,” he said.

The noted economist added, “The issue of trying to portray the conditions of minorities in such a big way is just an excuse.” Yunus said that when he met leaders of the minority community, he urged them to protest as citizens of the country with equal rights and not merely as Hindus.

“Even when I met members of the Hindu community, I had requested them: please don’t identify yourselves as Hindus; rather, you should say you are citizens of this country and you have equal rights. If someone tries to snatch your legal rights as citizens, then there are remedies,” he said.

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC), a prominent Hindu minority group in Bangladesh, had also reported attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5.

Thousands of Hindus staged protest rallies in Bangladesh's capital and the northeastern port city of Chattogram on August 10-11, demanding protection amid nationwide vandalism that saw attacks on temples and their homes and businesses.

Earlier in August, the Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance said that the minority Hindu community faced attacks and threats in 278 locations across 48 districts since the fall of the Hasina-led government and termed it as an “assault on the Hindu religion.”