Bangladesh minority groups detail violence and abuse after government collapse: ‘scapegoats’

Members of minority groups in Bangladesh spoke to Fox News Digital about the violence and mistreatment they faced following the government’s collapse earlier this month, all using false names for fear of reprisals.

Violence, even murder, and the burning of businesses, places of worship and residences owned by minorities has been a major problem since the government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was toppled in violent protests. Bangladesh is 90% Muslim, with some Christians, but mostly Hindus and Buddhists making up the rest of the population.

Sathya, a Hindu woman from Chittagong, told Fox News Digital that Hasina’s government “hasn’t been the best” to the Hindu minority, pointing to cases of land grabbing of Hindu homes and temples under her rule, but suggested that they face better treatment. than under other governments – the “lesser evil”, but only when “we have no options”.

“Hindus were always the ‘scapegoats’ and were blamed whenever there was an economic crisis or some other political issue over which we had no control,” Sathya said. India’s Deccan Herald reported that 278 Hindu-owned properties have been ransacked since Hasina fled the country.

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He argued that if a Hindu house remained empty, squatters would step in and start building, and the government and legal system would do little to help protect Hindu land rights. The mobsters would come in and take whatever they wanted, such as furniture, cash and food.

Even within the Muslim community, the Ahmadiyya sect has faced persecution from the Sunni majority who call them “heretics,” Ali told Fox News Digital. “Our group has also been increasingly targeted, as have Hindus and other religious minorities.”

A Bangladeshi citizen now living in the US says that when he looks at his homeland, he sees “no law and order” and that “Hindus have to stay vigilant, especially at night, worried that our homes will be raided and looted . ”

“The government doesn’t seem to care about minorities,” he said, withholding his name. “A hotline has been provided for Hindus to call if they are targeted, but no one is answering the phone number provided.”

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“Even though the region as a whole is a Buddhist minority today, Buddhism originated not far from here near Nepal and has a very long history here and is one of the world’s major religions. We wonder why the rest of the world remains silent when we are in such a crisis,” Rajarshi told Fox News Digital.

He felt that the latest violence shows that any non-Sunni group is not safe. “What good is it that we all fought for independence from Pakistan if we are told that we have no place in this country now?”

While Christians make up a small minority of the country’s population, Fox News Digital recently reported that Open Doors, which tracks discrimination against Christians worldwide, classified Bangladesh as having “very high” levels of persecution, claiming that “converts to Christianity face the most. severe restrictions, discrimination and attacks”.

“Religious beliefs are tied to community identity, so switching from a locally dominant faith to following Jesus can lead to accusations of treason,” the group wrote on its website. “Bangladeshi converts often gather in small churches because of risk of attack.”

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Earlier this week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on social media platform X that he had spoken with the country’s interim leader, Professor Muhammad Yunus, and the two had “exchanged views on the prevailing situation”.

“Reiterated India’s support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh,” Modi wrote. “He ensured the protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh.”

The Washington Post reported that Modi’s government pressured the United States to tone down criticism of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and the Biden administration complied — even suspending plans for new sanctions against the Bangladeshi government.

The US State Department told Fox News Digital that “Our sustained commitment to democracy and human rights in Bangladesh and around the world speaks for itself” and added that “We do not comment on our private diplomatic communications.”

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Bangladesh re-elected Hasina’s Awami League party in January, extending her rule that began in 2008, sparking student protests at universities that eventually turned into nationwide demonstrations against the party’s rule.

Both the party and its leader have faced accusations of “iron-fisted” and authoritarian rule, with many claiming the 2014 and 2018 elections were “fake” because the opposition either boycotted or were reduced to a “minority hopeless,” according to New. Yorker.

Declining employment and high inflation plagued the Awami League’s last term, and the economic stress proved too much for many, particularly a new policy that implemented a quota for civil service work – thereby holding back coveted jobs in which the protesters claimed was a kleptocratic move.

Hasina eventually resigned and fled to India, taking many by surprise but allowing the protesters to have the change they wanted, which included the introduction of Professor Muhammad Yunus, humanitarian professor and Nobel laureate for Peace, as chief adviser to the interim government before new elections. in November.

Student protesters plan to create a new party to contest elections and end the two-party monopoly that has burdened the country for nearly two decades, Reuters reported. The student groups at the center of the protest want to talk to citizens across the country before deciding on their platform and will finalize their decision within a month.

“We don’t have any other plan that can break the binary without forming a party,” Tamid Chowdhury, one of the student coordinators at the center of efforts to oust Hasina, told reporters.

Another student said that “the spirit of the movement was to create a new Bangladesh, one to which no fascist or autocrat can return.”

“To ensure this, we need structural reforms, which will certainly take some time,” explained Nahid Islam, a protester who has taken a role in Yunus’ temporary cabinet.

Reuters contributed to this report.