The “harsh treatment and victimisation” of religious minorities in Bangladesh is appalling and of immense concern, said a group of prominent Indian citizens in an open letter to Muhammad Yunus, the head of the neighbouring country’s interim government, on Wednesday.
This came after three Hindu monks were arrested on charges of sedition in the past week in Bangladesh.
“As Muslims we are dismayed and disappointed at such un-Islamic behaviour,” read the letter from a group called Citizens for Fraternity.
It added: “We truly hope that the Govt of Bangladesh comes down heavily on all communal elements and ensure full security to its Hindu population as well as other minorities.”
The letter has been signed by former Delhi Lieutenant General Najeeb Jung, former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi, former Deputy Chief of Army Staff Zameer Uddin Shah, former MP Shahid Siddiqui and industrialist Saeed Mustafa Shervani.
It said that the treatment of minorities is a “critical test” for democracy, adding that they must be protected in all societies irrespective of their race and religion.
“Most distressing is the development that no lawyer is prepared to defend the aggrieved in fear of reprisals from their co-religionists,” said the group.
They were referring to reports that no lawyer represented Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das at his bail hearing in a Bangladesh court on Tuesday. This led to a postponement of the proceedings to January 2.
Das was arrested in the Bangladeshi city of Chittagong on November 25. The monk was arrested on sedition charges after he allegedly insulted Bangladesh’s national flag during a rally in Chittagong on October 25.
He is the spokesperson of the Sammilito Sanatani Jagaron Jote, an organisation that advocates for the rights of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. He was formerly associated with the West Bengal-based International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or ISKCON.
The letter on Wednesday said it would amount to “tacit support” if Bangladesh did not curb the “deplorable” developments against minorities. “We strongly condemn this mistreatment of the minorities and urge the Bangladesh authorities to take immediate and corrective action,” it added.
Bangladesh has been witnessing violence since August, when a student-led protest forced the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League government, following which an interim government led by Yunus was instated.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in August urged Yunus to ensure the safety of Hindus and other minorities. Yunus had claimed at the time that reports of attacks on religious minorities in Bangladesh had been exaggerated.
On Friday, India’s foreign ministry reiterated its concern over the alleged attacks on Hindus and minorities in Bangladesh and called for a “fair and transparent” trial for Das.
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