Unity Council Reports Surge in Attacks on Minorities After
Hasina's Ouster as Violence Persists

Los Angeles/Aug 07, 2024
NRIpress.club/Ramesh/ A.Gary Singh

On August 6, rioters set fire to a hotel owned by an Awami League leader in Bangladesh, resulting in at least 24 deaths, according to local media reports. This event is indicative of a rising wave of violence against minorities and members of the Awami League following the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In the last two days alone, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has documented over 100 such attacks.

The fire at Zabir International Hotel, owned by Shahin Chakkladar, the district Awami League general secretary, occurred in Jessore. Shahid Ali, an Indian national from Assam, jumped from the hotel balcony to escape the blaze, breaking his legs but surviving.

Since Hasina's abrupt resignation and departure from the country, numerous acts of vandalism and arson have been reported, with minority Hindus being particularly targeted. In one notable incident, mobs set fire to the home of prominent Bangladeshi Hindu singer Rahul Ananda in Dhaka, destroying over 3,000 musical instruments housed in the century-old property.

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council released a detailed statement listing 102 attacks on minorities documented on August 5 and 6. The incidents occurred in various districts, including Sherpur, Khulna, Dinajpur, Feni, and many more.

Significant incidents include:

• Vandalism of the Durga Temple in Feni.
• Destruction of five temples, including the Parbatipur Kali Temple in Dinajpur.
• Arson attacks on three houses in Palpara village, Jessore.
• Attack and arson on the residence of Dr. Subrata Ghosh, central assistant organizational secretary of the Unity Council, in Satkhira.
• Looting of five to seven shops in Tilpotti, Borogola, Bogra.
• Looting of ten Hindu houses in Jhenaidah.
• Vandalism at Ramkrishna Mission and ISKCON temples in Netrakona.
• Physical attacks on Hindus with blades in Dengamari and Krishnapur, Faridpur, spreading fear among the local community.

This wave of violence has created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among minority communities in Bangladesh.

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