Dhaka: As Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus was appointed the head of an interim government in Bangladesh on August 6, at least 24 people were burnt alive at a hotel owned by a leader of the Awami League. While the army took charge, 100 more deaths were reported overnight in incidents of violence in many parts of the country after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country.
With the total death toll standing at 440 on August 5, there were signs of a return to normalcy with police and army patrolling the streets, BDNews24.com news portal said and added that schools were reopened after a long period of closure due to protests against Hasina over a controversial job quota system.
Several Hindu temples, homes, and shops have been vandalized in Bangladesh. (Photo courtesy: X@VoiceofHindu71)
The situation for religious minorities in Bangladesh has grown increasingly precarious in the wake of Hasina’s ouster. Several Hindu temples, households, and businesses were vandalized, women assaulted and at least two Hindu leaders affiliated with the Awami League party headed by Hasina were killed in the violence, as per two community leaders in Dhaka.
An ISKCON temple in Meherpur, located in Bangladesh’s Khulna division, was vandalized and set on fire. Kajol Debnath, leader of the Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, told news agency PTI that at least four Hindu temples were targeted on August 5 and suffered minor damages. In addition to the temple attacks, the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Dhaka was also vandalized by an unruly mob.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) said 200-300 mainly Hindu homes and businesses had been vandalized since August 5, and 15-20 Hindu temples were damaged. Up to 40 people have been injured though not seriously, its general secretary, Rana Dasgupta, told news agency Reuters.
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Who is Muhammad Yunus?
Muhammad Yunus was appointed to lead Bangladesh's interim government by President Mohammed Shahabuddin after he held meetings with student leaders and chiefs of the three military services. Yunus, 84, and his Grameen Bank, a microcredit organization, won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for work to lift millions out of poverty by granting small loans. He has shared a frosty relationship with Hasina, who once accused him of “sucking blood” from the poor. Under Hasina’s rule, he was booked in more than 200 cases — including forgery, money laundering, and embezzlement. |
