Chief Adviser to Bangladesh's interim government, Muhammad Yunus, has said the issue of attacks on minority Hindus in his country is exaggerated and questioned the manner in which India projected it.
In an interview with PTI at his official residence in Dhaka, Yunus said the attacks on minorities in Bangladesh are more political than communal. He suggested that the attacks were not communal, but a fallout of a political upheaval as there is a perception that most Hindus supported the now-deposed Awami League regime.
"I have said this to (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi also that this is exaggerated. This issue has several dimensions. When the country went through an upheaval following the atrocities by (Sheikh) Hasina and the Awami League, those who were with them also faced attacks," the Nobel laureate told PTI.
The minority Hindu population faced vandalism of their businesses and properties, as well as the destruction of Hindu temples, during the student-led violence that erupted following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
After unprecedented anti-government protests that peaked on August 5, Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled to India. "Now, while beating up Awami League cadres, they had beaten up Hindus as there is a perception that Hindus in Bangladesh mean Awami League supporters. I am not saying that what has happened is right, but some people are using it as an excuse to seize property. So, there is no clear distinction between Awami League supporters and Hindus," he said.
In his first direct contact with New Delhi last month, shortly after becoming the head of Bangladesh's interim government, Yunus conveyed to Prime Minister Modi that Dhaka would prioritise the protection and safety of Hindus and all other minority groups. During the conversation, Modi reaffirmed India's support for a democratic, stable, peaceful, and progressive Bangladesh and emphasised the importance of ensuring the safety of Hindus and other minority communities in the violence-hit country.
Hindus, who made up 22 per cent of Bangladesh's population at the time of the 1971 Liberation War, now constitute about 8 per cent of 170 million and have predominantly supported the Awami League, known for its secular stance.
Describing the attacks as more political than communal, Yunus questioned the manner in which India is propagating them. These attacks are political in nature and not communal. And India is propagating these incidents in a big way. We have not said that we can't do anything; we have said that we are doing everything, the Chief Adviser said.