Bangladesh reports 88 attacks on minorities after India raises concerns

Bangladesh on Dec 10 confirmed 88 incidents of communal violence targeting minorities, mainly Hindus, after the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in August.

Interim government head Muhammad Yunus’ press secretary, Shafiqul Alam said 70 people have been arrested in connection with the communal violence incidents.

The disclosure came a day after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri raised concerns over the attacks on minorities and conveyed India's concerns regarding their safety and welfare during meetings with Bangladeshi leadership.

Alam told reporters that a total of 88 cases have been registered in incidents involving minorities between August 5 and October 22 this year.

“The number of cases and arrests is likely to increase as new incidents of violence have also been reported in (northeastern Sunamganj, (central) Gazipur, and other areas,” news agency PTI quoted Alam as saying.

He mentioned that some victims could have been members of the previous ruling party. The government has maintained apart from a few incidents, Hindus were not targeted due to their faith.

“Some attacks targeted individuals who were former members of the ruling party or they were the result of personal disputes. Nevertheless, since violence occurred, the police are taking appropriate action,” Alam added.

He said that details regarding the incidents that took place after October 22 will be shared soon.

There have been a spate of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities, as well as attacks on temples in Bangladesh in the last few weeks that sparked strong concerns in New Delhi.

Misri arrived in Dhaka on Dec 9 for the annual foreign office consultations with his counterpart Mohammad Jashim Uddin amid unprecedented strain in bilateral ties over the targeting of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority and the arrest of monk Chinmoy Krishna Das.

Misri, the first senior Indian functionary to travel to Dhaka since the change of government in August, also met de facto foreign minister Touhid Hossain and caretaker administration chief Muhammad Yunus.