Dhaka: Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus on Saturday condemned attacks on minority communities in the violence-hit nation, calling them “heinous”, and urged youth to protect all Hindu, Christian and Buddhist families from harm.
Members of minority communities in Bangladesh have faced at least 205 incidents of attacks in 52 districts since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5, according to two Hindu organisations – the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad – in the country.
Thousands of Bangladeshi Hindus have been trying to flee to neighbouring India to escape the violence.
Addressing students at the forefront of the protests, Nobel laureate Yunus warned them not to allow their efforts to be sabotaged by those seeking to undermine their progress, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.
“There are many who are willing to make your efforts futile. Do not fail this time,” he said while addressing students at Begum Rokeya University in the city of Rangpur.
Yunus unequivocally condemned the attacks on the country’s minority communities, calling the acts “heinous.”
He urged students to protect all Hindu, Christian and Buddhist families from harm.
“Are they not the people of this country? You have been able to save the country, can you not save some families?… They should say: no one can harm you. They are my brothers, we fought together and we will remain together,” he said, stressing the need for national unity.
Highlighting the importance of youth leadership, Yunus said, “This Bangladesh is now in your hands. You have the power to take it wherever you want. It is not a matter of research, it is a power that is within you.”
He also urged the people of Bangladesh to emulate the way student activist Abu Sayed stood bravely during the anti-government protests that led to the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina’s government.
Sayed, 25, from Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, was among the first protesters to die in police firing on July 16 during the Student Anti-Discrimination Movement.
Yunus, who was sworn in as the head of the interim government on Thursday, met Sayed’s family members in Rangpur’s Pirganj upazila, The Daily Star newspaper reported.
“We have to stand in the same position as Abu Sayed… Abu Sayeed’s mother is everyone’s mother. We have to protect her, protect her sisters, protect her brothers. We all have to do it together,” he told reporters after meeting Sayed’s family.
Yunus said the responsibility of building a new Bangladesh lies with all Bangladeshis.
“We will remember him (Abu Sayed) through this. Therefore, we must make sure that we do the (necessary) work,” he said.
“Abu Sayed is no longer a member of a single family. He is the son of every family in Bangladesh. Children who grow up and go to school and university will know who Abu Sayed is and will say to themselves, ‘I too will fight for justice. ’ Abu Sayed is now in every home,” Yunus said.
Meanwhile, thousands of Hindu agitators, including students, blocked the Shahbagh intersection for the second consecutive day on Saturday, protesting attacks on their homes, shops and temples in several parts of the country, The Daily Star newspaper reported.
The protesters chanted slogans such as “Save Hindus”, “Why are you looting my temples and houses? We want answers”, “Hindu persecution in independent Bangladesh will not continue”, “Religion is for individuals, state is for all” and “Ensure safety of Hindus”.
Several Hindu temples, homes and businesses were vandalized, women were assaulted and at least two Hindu leaders affiliated with Hasina’s Awami League party were killed in the violence in Bangladesh after she fled the country, according to community leaders in Dhaka.
The protesters warned that if immediate steps are not taken to stop the persecution of Hindus, they will continue with protest programmes.
They also demanded the formation of a Ministry for Minorities, the establishment of a minority protection commission, the enactment and implementation of strict laws to prevent all forms of attacks on minorities, and the allocation of 10 percent of parliamentary seats for minorities.
In another major development, Bangladesh Supreme Court Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan and five other senior judges tendered their resignations on Saturday, five days after the fall of Hasina’s regime amid massive street protests and students marching to the top court demanding a revamp of the judiciary.
The 65-year-old judge revealed his decision around 1:00 pm after protesters from the Student Anti-Discrimination Movement gathered at the high court premises. The students had given an ultimatum to him and the Appellate Division judges to resign by 1:00 pm.
“I think it is necessary to share with you a special news. Our Chief Justice resigned a few minutes ago. His resignation letter has already reached the Ministry of Justice,” said the legal adviser, equivalent to the minister of the newly installed interim government, Professor Asif Nazrul, in a video message on Facebook.
Appellate Division Judge Md Ashfaqul Islam has been appointed as the acting Chief Justice following Hassan’s resignation, Supreme Court Public Relations Officer Md Shafiqul Islam told reporters.
Several other senior officials, including Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Maksud Kamal and Bangla Academy Director General Professor Dr Md Harun-Ur-Rashid Askari, resigned from their posts following fresh protests by students and other demonstrators.
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