Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, has assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all religious minorities in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday.
Modi said that he had received a phone call from Yunus, who took over as the chief advisor to the interim government in Dhaka on August 8.
“Exchanged views on the prevailing situation,” Modi said in a social media post. “Reiterated India’s support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh.”
In a social media post, Yunus said that he told Modi that the reports of attacks on religious minorities in Bangladesh “have been exaggerated”. Yunus added that he was inviting Indian journalists to report from the ground in Bangladesh “on the issues of the minority protection”.
Dhaka is “committed to safeguarding every citizen of the country including the minorities”, Yunus told Modi when the Indian prime minister raised the issue of the protection of minorities, according to the chief advisor’s office.
On Modi’s invitation, Yunus agreed to join virtually the Third Voice of Global South Summit that will be held in New Delhi on Saturday.
The conversation between Yunus and Modi comes after several parts of Bangladesh reported incidents of violence against religious minorities, following the collapse of Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5.
In his Independence Day speech on Thursday, Modi said that Indians were worried about the safety of the Hindu community in Bangladesh.
“We hope the situation normalises in the country soon,” the prime minister had said in his address. “Indians want the security of the Hindus and the minorities there to be ensured.”
On August 5, Hasina resigned and fled to India after the student-led protests against a controversial quota scheme for government jobs, which started in July, evolved into a broader agitation against her government.
On Tuesday, Yunus visited the Dhakeshwari temple in Dhaka, where he met leaders from the Hindu community and assured equal rights for all, The Daily Star reported.
“Rights are equal for everyone,” Yunus said on Tuesday. “We are all one people with one right. Do not make any distinctions among us. Please assist us. Exercise patience, and later judge – what we were able to do and not do. If we fail, then criticise us.”
Yunus, a Nobel laureate economist, said that his administration aimed to create an environment where Hindus and other minority groups no longer had to fear for their safety.
On August 9, Modi had urged Yunus to ensure “the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities”. India’s external affairs ministry had also said that the Centre is monitoring the situation in Bangladesh.
Also read:
- Bangladesh: How safe were Hindus under the Awami League?
- After Hasina’s fall, Hindus in Bangladesh on edge
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