Summary
- The interim government emphasizes the importance of safeguarding the Hindu community during the meeting.
- Since the removal of Sheikh Hasina, there have been at least 205 reported incidents of attacks against minorities.
- Hindu students have compiled an eight-point list of demands to present to Muhammad Yunus.
In response to the persistent assaults on Hindus and other minority groups, Muhammad Yunus, the interim leader of Bangladesh, has scheduled a meeting with Hindu students and community representatives for Monday. The interim administration has indicated that the agenda will center on addressing the ongoing crisis and safeguarding the Hindu community. Reports indicate that minority groups in Bangladesh have endured a minimum of 205 attack incidents across 52 districts since the Sheikh Hasina-led government was dissolved on August 5.
The interim government issued its first official statement on Sunday following the swearing-in of cabinet members, expressing serious concern regarding the attacks on religious minorities in certain regions. In light of escalating apprehensions, minority groups are advocating for the enactment of a minority protection law to ensure their rights are upheld. A Hindu student organization has compiled an eight-point list of demands to present to Yunus.
These demands encompass the creation of a fast-track tribunal for expedited trials in incidents involving attacks on Hindus, the immediate passage of a minority protection law, the elevation of the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust to a foundation, the modernization of the Pali Education Board, the declaration of a five-day holiday for Sharadiya Durga Puja, and the establishment of a Ministry of Minority Affairs. Muhammad Yunus has previously denounced the assaults on minority communities, labeling them as “heinous,” and has called upon the youth to safeguard Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist families.