88 attacks till now… India showed strictness while Bangladesh revealed attacks on minorities

New Delhi: In Bangladesh, after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August, 88 incidents of attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, have been reported. News agency PTI has given this information. Shafiqul Alam, press secretary of interim government chief Muhammad Yunus, said that 70 people have been arrested in these incidents. This disclosure came a day after the visit of Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to Bangladesh. Misri, in his/her meeting with the Bangladeshi leadership, had expressed concern over attacks on minorities and conveyed India’s concern over their security.

88 cases registered in incidents related to minorities

Alam told reporters that between August 5 and October 22, cases have been registered in 88 incidents involving minorities. he/she said, ‘The number of cases and arrests may increase as new incidents of violence have also been reported in Sunamganj, Ghazipur and other areas.’ he/she also said that some of the victims may have been members of the former ruling party. The government says that except in a few incidents, Hindus were not targeted because of their religion. Alam further said, ‘Some attacks took place on people who were former members of the ruling party or were the result of personal disputes. Nevertheless, since violence has taken place, the police is taking appropriate action. he/she said details of incidents that occurred after October 22 would be shared soon.

Many attacks on Hindu temples

In the last few weeks, there have been several incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh and there have also been attacks on temples. India has expressed deep concern regarding this. The Egyptian on Monday arrived in Dhaka for the annual Foreign Office consultations with his/her counterpart Mohammad Jashim Uddin, amid unprecedented tension in relations between the two countries due to attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh and the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das. Misri, the first senior Indian official to visit Dhaka after the government change in August, also met Foreign Minister Tauheed Hussain and caretaker administration chief Muhammad Yunus.

India expressed concern over these incidents of violence

The incidents of communal violence taking place in Bangladesh are extremely worrying. Especially when these incidents have increased after the departure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It remains to be seen what steps the interim government takes to stop these incidents and how successful it is in punishing the culprits. The Government of India has also expressed its concern in this matter and expects appropriate action from the Government of Bangladesh. In the coming days, it will be important to see what steps are taken to ensure the safety of minorities in Bangladesh.