New Delhi/Dhaka: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in India after the fall of her government following a mass uprising, has demanded an investigation into the killings, vandalism, and arson carried out in the name of agitation in her country. She also demanded that the culprits be identified and brought to justice, The Daily Star reported.
Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Hasina's son, posted her statement on his verified Facebook page on August 13. Hasina was compelled to step down on August 5 following the student protests, which saw more than 500 people killed.
In the statement, she said, "Since July, lots of lives have been lost in violence, arson in the name of protests. I express my condolences and prayers for the victims, including students, teachers, police, journalists, cultural activists and a pregnant policewoman, members of Awami League and its associate bodies, pedestrians and various professionals."
She conveyed sympathy to the bereaved families, The Daily Star reported. In her statement, Hasina recalled the massacre of August 15, 1975, when Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members were assassinated. Hasina, the eldest daughter of Bangabandhu urged all to observe the National Mourning Day on August 15 in a befitting manner by placing floral wreaths at Bangabandhu Bhaban and offering prayers.
Attacks on Hindus continueTargeted attacks on Hindus continued in Bangladesh, which plunged into chaos on August 5 when Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign as Prime Minister and flee Dhaka. In the latest incident, the house of a Hindu family was torched in the Farabari Mandirpara village in Akcha union under Thakurgaon Sadar upazila on August 13, the Daily Star reported. Subrata Kumar Barman, chairman of Akcha Union Parishad, told the newspaper that unidentified individuals set fire to Kaleshwar Barman's house around 7:30 pm. Locals quickly responded and managed to control the fire, and the house's occupants were able to escape unharmed. The Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajot (BJHM), a grand national alliance of 23 religious organizations in the country, said this week that as many as 278 Hindu families have faced massive violence and vandalism in 48 districts of the nation since August 5. |
