Yunus Assures PM Modi Of Safety Of Hindus In Bangladesh, To Attend India-Hosted Online Summit This Weekend

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday reiterated India’s support for a ‘democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh’ when Bangladesh interim government’s chief advisor Muhammad Yunus called him to exchange views on the situation in the neighbouring country.

“Received a telephone call from Professor Muhammad Yunus, @ChiefAdviserGoB. Exchanged views on the prevailing situation. Reiterated India’s support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh,” PM Modi said on social media site X.

He said his “government is committed to safeguarding every citizen of the country including the minorities”.

“The Chief Adviser has told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his government is committed to safeguarding every citizen of the country including the minorities when the Indian Prime Minister raised the issue of the protection of the minorities,” a Bangladeshi government readout on the phone call said.

Yunus also said that “reports of attacks on the minorities have been exaggerated” and said Indian journalists can come visit Bangladesh and report “from the ground on the issues of the minority protection”.

Yunus also accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to attend the third edition of the ‘Voice of Global South’ summit which will be held in a virtual format in New Delhi on Saturday. He will join the summit virtually.

Prime Minister Modi last week in a social media post extended his ‘best wishes’ to Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus upon assuming his ‘new’ role as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government. He highlighted the importance of an early return to normalcy and emphasised the need for protecting minority communities, including Hindus.

Members of the Bengali Hindu community in Bangladesh have faced attacks following the ouster of former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to Delhi from Dhaka after student protests against job quotas turned violent.

Bangladesh interim government advisor Yunus, a Nobel laureate, have called for attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh to stop. Irate mobs and miscreants have attacked Hindus across Bangladesh during the recent period of unrest as many view the Bengali Hindu community as sympathetic to Awami League, Sheikh Hasina’s party.

Bengali Hindus represent about 8 percent of Bangladesh’s 170 million people.

The apex body of Hindus in Bangladesh on Tuesday said the minority Hindu community faced attacks and threats in 278 locations across 48 districts since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5 and termed it as an “assault on the Hindu religion” during a press conference.

The Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance members pointed to the increase in attacks in recent times and asserted, “We too have rights in this country, we were born here.”

Along with with Bengali Hindu minority, adivasis and other communities have also faced arson, looting and attacks on their businesses after the protests ended.