Members of Bangladesh’s ethnic minorities spoke to Fox News Digital about the violence and abuse they faced after the government collapsed earlier this month, all using pseudonyms for fear of retaliation.
Since the government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted by violent protests, violence, killings and the burning of shops, places of worship and homes of ethnic minorities have been major problems in Bangladesh. Ninety percent of the population is Muslim, with some Christians, but the majority of the rest are Hindus and Buddhists.
Satya, a Hindu from Chittagong, told Fox News Digital that Hasina’s government had “not been the best” for the Hindu minority, pointing to instances where Hindu homes and temples had had their land seized under her government. But he suggested that Hindus had been treated better than under other governments – a “lesser evil” – but only when “there was no other choice.”
“Hindus have always been made the scapegoat and blamed for every economic crisis and other political issues over which they have no control,” Satya said. Deccan Herald, an Indian newspaper Since Prime Minister Hasina fled the country, 278 Hindu-owned shops have been reported to have been looted.
Bangladesh protests see temples burned, homes looted, safety of religious minorities threatened
He argued that when Hindu homes become vacant, squatters move in and start building, while the government and legal system do little to protect Hindu land rights. Mobs will move in and take anything they want: furniture, money, food.
Even within the Muslim community, Ahmadiyyas face persecution from the Sunni majority, who call them “infidels,” Ali told Fox News Digital. “Our group, along with Hindus and other religious minorities, are increasingly being targeted.”
On August 15, 2024, in Dhaka, protesters surrounded a man believed to be a supporter of former Prime Minister Hasina to mark the anniversary of the assassination of Sheikh Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, popularly known as Bangabandhu, the first president of independent Bangladesh. (Louis Tato/AFP via Getty Images)
Bangladeshis now living in the United States say they see a “lack of law and order” in their homeland, and that “Hindus have to stay vigilant, especially at night, fearing their homes will be raided and looted.”
“The government doesn’t seem to care about minorities,” he said, declining to be named. “There is a hotline available for Hindus to call if they are targeted, but no one answers the number provided.”
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“Although Buddhists are a minority in this region today, Buddhism originated not far from here in Nepal, has a very long history here and is one of the major world religions. It makes you wonder why the rest of the world is silent when we are in such a crisis,” Rajarshi told Fox News Digital.
He felt the recent violence showed that no group other than Sunnis was safe: “What is the use of us having fought for independence from Pakistan and now being told we have no place in this country?”
In this handout photograph taken and released by the Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office on July 25, 2024, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addresses the media at the vandalized Mirpur metro station following anti-quota protests. (Bangladesh Prime Minister’s Office/AFP via Getty Images)
Although Christians make up a small minority of the country’s population, Fox News Digital recently Organization Open DoorsThe United Nations, which tracks discrimination against Christians around the world, rates the level of persecution in Bangladesh as “very high,” claiming that “converts to Christianity face the severest restrictions, discrimination and attacks.”
“Because religious faith is linked to community identity, switching from a locally dominant faith to follow Jesus can expose people to accusations of betrayal,” the group says on its website. “Due to the risk of attack, converts in Bangladesh often congregate in small house churches.”
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Earlier this week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on social media platform X that he had met with the country’s interim leader, Professor Muhammad Yunus, and “exchanged views on the current situation.”
“India reiterated its support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh,” Modi wrote. “The Prime Minister assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh.”
The Washington Post reported that the Modi administration had pressured the US to tone down its criticism of then Prime Minister Hasina, and the Biden administration responded by even shelving plans for further sanctions against the Bangladeshi government.
“Our ongoing commitment to democracy and human rights in Bangladesh and around the world speaks for itself,” the US State Department told Fox News Digital, adding that “we do not comment on private diplomatic communications.”
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Bangladesh re-elected Prime Minister Hasina’s Awami League party in January, extending its rule that began in 2008. This sparked student protests at universities and eventually spilled into nationwide demonstrations against the party’s rule.
The party and its leaders have faced accusations of “strong-arming” and authoritarian rule, with many claiming that the 2014 and 2018 elections were “shams” because the opposition either boycotted them or was reduced to a “hopeless minority”. According to The New Yorker.
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser to Bangladesh’s new caretaker government, arrives in Dhaka on August 13, 2024 to meet relatives of those who went missing during the tenure of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. (Indranil Mukherjee/AFP via Getty Images)
Falling jobs and high inflation marred the Awami League’s last term and economic stress has become unbearable for many, especially after new policies introducing civil service quotas have made it harder for people to secure coveted jobs and protesters say it is a kleptocratic move.
Hasina eventually surprised many by resigning and fleeing to India, but the protesters got the changes they wanted, including the appointment of humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize winner Professor Muhammad Yunus as chief adviser to the interim government ahead of new elections in November.
Student protesters plan to form a new political party to contest the election and end the two-party monopoly that has plagued the country for almost two decades. Reuters reported.The student groups at the heart of the protests want to consult with citizens across the country before deciding on a policy platform, and are expected to finalise their decision within a month.
“There is no other plan to break the dualism without forming a political party,” Tamid Chowdhury, one of the student coordinators at the heart of the movement to oust Hasina, told reporters.
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“The spirit of the movement is to create a new Bangladesh where no fascist or dictator can return,” said another student.
“To achieve that we need structural reforms, which will definitely take time,” explained Nahid Islam, a protest activist who held a position in Yunus’s caretaker government.
Reuters contributed to this report.
