Bangladesh’s interim chief Muhammad Yunus on Saturday condemned assaults on minority communities within the violence-hit nation, calling them “heinous,” and urged younger folks to guard all Hindu, Christian and Buddhist households from hurt.
Members of minority communities in Bangladesh have confronted no less than 205 incidents of assaults in 52 districts because the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led authorities on August 5, based on two Hindu organisations – the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad – within the nation.
1000’s of Bangladeshi Hindus have been making an attempt to flee to neighbouring India to flee the violence.
Addressing college students on the forefront of the protests, Nobel laureate Yunus warned them to not permit their efforts to be sabotaged by these searching for to undermine their progress, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.
“There are a lot of who’re prepared to make your efforts futile. Don’t fail this time,” he mentioned whereas addressing college students at Begum Rokeya College within the metropolis of Rangpur.
Yunus unequivocally condemned the assaults on the nation’s minority communities, calling the acts “heinous.”
He urged college students to guard all Hindu, Christian and Buddhist households from hurt.
“Aren’t they the folks of this nation? You may have been in a position to save the nation, cannot you avoid wasting households?… They need to say: nobody can hurt you. They’re my brothers, we’ve got fought collectively and we are going to proceed to combat collectively,” he mentioned, stressing the necessity for nationwide unity.
Highlighting the significance of youth management, Yunus mentioned, “This Bangladesh is now in your arms. You may have the ability to take it wherever you need. It’s not a matter of analysis, it’s a energy that’s inside you.”
He additionally urged the folks of Bangladesh to emulate the best way scholar activist Abu Sayed stood bravely through the anti-government protests that led to the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina’s authorities.
Sayed, 25, from Begum Rokeya College in Rangpur, was among the many first protesters to die in police firing on July 16 through the Scholar Anti-Discrimination Motion.
Yunus, who was sworn in as the top of the interim authorities on Thursday, met Sayed’s members of the family in Rangpur’s Pirganj upazila, The Day by day Star newspaper reported.
“Now we have to take care of Abu Sayed’s stance… Abu Sayeed’s mom is everybody’s mom. Now we have to guard her, defend her sisters, defend her brothers. All of us must do it collectively,” he informed reporters after assembly Sayed’s household.
Yunus mentioned the duty of constructing a brand new Bangladesh lies with all Bangladeshis.
“We are going to keep in mind him (Abu Sayed) via this. Subsequently, we should make sure that we do the (essential) work,” he mentioned.
“Abu Sayed is not a member of 1 household. He’s the son of each household in Bangladesh. Kids who develop up and go to highschool and college will know who Abu Sayed is and can say to themselves, ‘I too will combat for justice.’ Abu Sayed is now in each house,” Yunus mentioned.
In the meantime, 1000’s of Hindu agitators, together with college students, blocked the Shahbagh intersection for the second consecutive day on Saturday, protesting assaults on their properties, outlets and temples in a number of elements of the nation, The Day by day Star newspaper reported.
The protesters chanted slogans akin to “Save Hindus”, “Why are you looting my temples and homes? We would like solutions”, “Hindu persecution in unbiased Bangladesh won’t proceed”, “Faith is for people, state is for all” and “Guarantee security of Hindus”.
A number of Hindu temples, properties and companies have been vandalized, girls have been assaulted and no less than two Hindu leaders affiliated with Hasina’s Awami League social gathering have been killed within the violence in Bangladesh after she fled the nation, based on neighborhood leaders in Dhaka.
The protesters warned that if quick steps should not taken to cease the persecution of Hindus, they may proceed with protest programmes.
Additionally they demanded the formation of a Ministry for Minorities, the institution of a minority safety fee, the enactment and implementation of strict legal guidelines to stop all types of assaults on minorities, and the allocation of 10 % of parliamentary seats for minorities.
In one other main growth, Bangladesh Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan resigned on Saturday, 5 days after the autumn of Hasina’s regime amid huge road protests and college students marching to the highest court docket demanding a revamp of the judiciary.
The 65-year-old choose introduced his resolution round 1:00 pm after protesters from the Scholar Anti-Discrimination Motion gathered on the excessive court docket premises. The scholars had given an ultimatum to him and the Appellate Division judges to resign by 1:00 pm.
“I feel it’s essential to share with you a particular information. Our Chief Justice resigned a couple of minutes in the past. His resignation letter has already reached the Ministry of Regulation,” mentioned the authorized adviser, equal to the minister of the newly put in interim authorities, Professor Asif Nazrul, in a video message on Fb.
Appellate Division Choose Md Ashfaqul Islam has been appointed because the appearing Chief Justice following Hassan’s resignation, Supreme Court docket Public Relations Officer Md Shafiqul Islam informed reporters.
A number of different senior officers, together with Dhaka College Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Maksud Kamal and Bangla Academy Director Normal Professor Dr Md Harun-Ur-Rashid Askari, resigned from their posts following recent protests by college students and different demonstrators.
