Muhammad Yunus condemns 'heinous' attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, urges youth to protect them

Dhaka: Bangladesh's interim leader Muhammad Yunus on Saturday condemned attacks on the minority communities in the violence-hit nation, terming them as "heinous", and urged the youth to protect all Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist families from harm.

Members of minority communities in Bangladesh 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 -- 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.

Reaching out to students who are at the forefront of the protests, Yunus, a Nobel laureate, cautioned them not to let their efforts be sabotaged by those seeking to undermine their progress, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

"There are many standing by to make your efforts futile. Don’t fail this time," he said while addressing the students at the Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur city.

Yunus unequivocally condemned the attacks on minority communities in the country, calling the acts "heinous".

He urged the 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't you save some families?...You must say — no one can harm them. They are my brothers; we fought together, and we will stay together,” he asserted, underscoring the need for national unity.

Stressing the importance of youth leadership, Yunus said, "This Bangladesh, is now in your hands. You have the power to take it wherever you want. This isn't a matter of research — it's a power within you.” He also urged the people of Bangladesh to emulate the way student activist Abu Sayed stood valiantly during the anti-government demonstrations that led to the toppling of the Sheikh Hasina government.

Sayed, 25, of Rangpur’s Begum Rokeya University, was among the first protesters to be killed in police firing on July 16 during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.

Yunus, who was sworn in on Thursday as the head of the interim government, met with Sayed’s family members in Rangpur’s Pirganj upazila, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

“We have to stand the way Abu Sayed stood...Abu Sayeed’s mother is everyone’s mother. We have to protect her, protect her sisters, protect her brothers. Everyone has to do it together,” he told reporters after meeting Sayed’s family.

Yunus said that the responsibility of building a new Bangladesh is for every Bangladeshi.

“We will remember him (Abu Sayed) through this. Therefore, we should ensure that we do the work (needed),” he said.

“Abu Sayed is no longer a member of just one family. He is the child of all families in Bangladesh. The children who will grow up and attend school and college will know about Abu Sayed 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 various parts of the country, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

They shouted slogans such as "Save the Hindus," "Why are my temples and homes being looted? We want answers," "Hindu persecution in independent Bangladesh, it will not continue," "Religion is for individuals, the state is for everyone," and "Ensure the safety of Hindus".

A number of Hindu temples, households and businesses were vandalised, women assaulted and at least two Hindu leaders affiliated with the Awami League party headed by Hasina were killed in the violence in Bangladesh after she fled the country, according to community leaders in Dhaka.

The protesters warned that if immediate measures are not taken to stop the persecution of Hindus, they will go for continuous 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 per cent of parliamentary seats for minorities.

In another major development, Bangladesh’s Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan on Saturday tendered his resignation, five days after the fall of the Hasina regime amid massive street protests and students marching towards the apex court demanding a revamp of the judiciary.

The 65-year-old top judge revealed his decision around 1 pm after protesters of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement gathered at the apex court premises. The students had issued an ultimatum to him and the judges of the Appellate Division to resign by 1 pm “I feel it is necessary to share a special news with you. Our chief justice resigned a few minutes back. His resignation letter has already reached the law ministry,” law adviser, equivalent to the minister of the newly-installed interim government, Prof Asif Nazrul said in a Facebook video message.

Appellate Division Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam has been appointed as the acting chief justice following Hassan's resignation, Supreme Court's Public Relations Officer Md Shafiqul Islam told the media.

Several other top 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 in the wake of new protests by students and other demonstrators.