Muhammad Yunus urged students to protect all Hindu, Christian and Buddhist families from danger.
Dhaka:
Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus on Saturday condemned attacks on minority communities in the violence-hit country as “heinous” and urged young people 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 organizations – Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and Puja Udjapan Parishad of Bangladesh -. – in the country.
Thousands of Bangladeshi Hindus have tried to flee to neighboring 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 waiting to make your efforts futile. Don’t fail this time,” he said while addressing students at Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur city.
Yunus unequivocally condemned attacks on minority communities in the country, calling the acts “heinous.”
He urged students to protect all Hindu, Christian and Buddhist families from danger.
“Aren’t they the people of this country? You managed 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 stand together,” he said, underlining the need for national unity.
Emphasizing 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 is not a question of research – it is 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 overthrow of Sheikh Hasina’s government.
Sayed, 25, from Rangpur’s Begum Rokeya University, was one of the first protesters killed in police firing on July 16 during the Student Anti-Discrimination Movement.
Yunus, who was sworn in on Thursday as head of the interim government, met members of Sayed’s family in Rangpur’s pirganj upazila, The Daily Star reported.
“We have to remain as Abu Sayed remained… Abu Sayeed’s mother is everyone’s mother. We have to protect her, protect her sisters, protect her brothers. Everyone has to do this together,” he told reporters after meeting Sayed’s family.
Yunus said the responsibility of building a new Bangladesh lies with every Bangladeshi.
“We will remember him (Abu Sayed) through this. Therefore, we must ensure that we do the (necessary) work,” he said.
“Abu Sayed is no longer a member of just one family. He is the son of every Bangladeshi family. Children who grow up and attend school and college will meet Abu Sayed and 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 crossing for the second consecutive day on Saturday, protesting against attacks on their homes, shops and temples in various parts of the country, The Daily Star reported.
They shouted slogans like “Save the Hindus”, “Why are my temples and homes being looted? We want answers”, “The persecution of Hindus in independent Bangladesh will not continue”, “Religion is for individuals, the State is for all”. ” and “Ensuring the safety of Hindus”.
Several Hindu temples, families and businesses were vandalized, women were attacked and at least two Hindu leaders affiliated with the Awami League party led by Hasina were killed in 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 end the persecution of Hindus, they will go for continuous protest programmes.
They also demanded the formation of a ministry for minorities, the creation of a commission for the protection of minorities, the promulgation and implementation of strict laws to prevent all forms of attacks on minorities, and the allocation of 10 percent of parliamentary seats to minorities.
In another major development, Bangladesh’s Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan and five other top judges on Saturday submitted their resignations, five days after the fall of Hasina’s regime, amid massive street and student protests that They marched towards the high court demanding reform of the judiciary.
The 65-year-old top judge revealed his decision at around 1pm after protesters from the Student Anti-Discrimination Movement gathered on the high court premises. The students gave him and the Appellate Division judges an ultimatum to resign by 1 p.m. “I feel it is necessary to share special news with you. Our president of the Supreme Court resigned a few minutes ago. Your resignation letter has already reached the Ministry of Law,” said the legal advisor, equivalent to the minister in the newly installed interim government, Prof Asif Nazrul, in a video message on Facebook.
Appellate Division judge Md Ashfaqul Islam was appointed acting president following Hassan’s resignation, Supreme Court public relations officer Md Shafiqul Islam told the media.
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, have resigned from their positions following fresh protests of students and other protesters.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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