Picture of violence in Bangladesh.
Dhaka: In Bangladesh, Hindus and other minorities are being continuously subjected to violence, their houses are being set on fire. The honour of Hindu sisters and daughters is being looted. Murders are taking place. Minorities are having to cross every limit of oppression. In such a situation, Transparency International Bangladesh has termed the attacks on religious minorities as “against the basic spirit” of the student movement. It also called upon the authorities on Wednesday to ensure the safety of government and minority community property in the violence-hit country.
Let us tell you that after Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned from her post and then left the country, the army took control. After which President Mohammad Shahabuddin dissolved the Parliament on Tuesday and appointed 84-year-old Nobel Prize winner Mohammad Yunus as the head of the interim government. The death toll in anti-government protests in Bangladesh has risen to 440. During this, arson and vandalism took place in different parts of the country. Temples were also attacked. According to two community leaders in Dhaka, many Hindu temples, homes and business establishments have been vandalized and at least two Hindu leaders associated with Hasina’s Awami League party have been killed in the violence.
Hindu singer Rahul Anand’s house was also attacked
According to a report published in Bangladesh’s English newspaper ‘Daily Star’, the residence of Rahul Anand, the lead singer of the popular folk band Jollar Gaan, was vandalised on Monday, forcing the singer and his family to take refuge in a secret location. The report quoted Saiful Islam Jarnal, one of the founding members of Jollar Gaan, as saying, “Rahul da and his family are scared and have taken refuge in a secret location, which is known to only a few people. We have not been able to contact them yet. This was not even their house, it was rented in which they have been living for decades.” The report said that the mob not only vandalised the house but also looted valuables and set it on fire, destroying more than 3000 musical instruments of the musician which he had prepared with years of hard work.
Along with houses and temples, shops were also marked
“Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has strongly condemned the incidents of communal violence in the districts, including attacks on homes, temples and businesses of religious minorities,” the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. It said TIB also condemned incidents of burning and looting of important infrastructure and vehicles. TIB, an organisation that raises voice against corruption in Bangladesh, remarked that such selfish and communal activities could thwart the chances of rebuilding the nation “with equality, justice and good governance”.
Attacks on Parliament House and PM House too
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftikharuzzaman issued a statement on Tuesday urging all responsible authorities to take immediate steps to ensure the safety of minorities living in the country and state properties. He said, “It is extremely disappointing that we have to demand the safety of religious minorities and state properties amidst the unprecedented victorious moment of the movement, where hundreds of students and citizens shed blood to demand equality, harmony and equal rights for all.”
Citing the recent violence and attacks on Parliament House, court complex, Chief Justice’s residence, government institutions, police stations, homes and business establishments, the paper said those who are damaging government properties in retaliation should realise that whichever government comes to power will have to rebuild them. (PTI)
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