In a scathing virtual address to Awami League supporters in New York, deposed Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina accused Muhammad Yunus, who now heads the interim government, of orchestrating mass killings and targeting religious minorities. She blamed Yunus and his supporters, particularly student coordinators, for a series of brutal attacks against Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian communities.
Hasina emphasized that Yunus had been the mastermind behind a well-coordinated plan that resulted in widespread violence. According to Hasina, Yunus was responsible for planning the systematic killings, as well as inciting attacks on religious minorities, including attacks on temples and churches. The political crisis in Bangladesh has escalated with increased violence since Hasina fled to India in August, following the fall of her government amid violent student protests.
Hasina’s allegations come at a time when the Hindu community in Bangladesh has been facing growing attacks from radical Islamist groups. She highlighted the recent rise in violence against minorities, particularly the targeting of temples and churches. The arrest of three Hindu monks, along with several reports of teachers and police being attacked, has only intensified fears about the safety of religious minorities in the country.
Hasina questioned the motives behind the attacks, asking why Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians were specifically being targeted in Bangladesh. She also mentioned that opposition figures like Tarique Rahman had predicted that the current government, under Yunus’s leadership, would not survive if such violence continued.
Reflecting on the critical moments before her departure from Bangladesh, Hasina revealed that an armed mob had surrounded Gana Bhavan with the intent to assassinate her. She recalled how she had made the difficult decision to flee the country to prevent a massacre, emphasizing that she did not want to see indiscriminate bloodshed. Hasina also claimed there were plans to assassinate her in the same manner that her father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was killed in 1975. She described how her security forces were on high alert but were ordered not to engage the mob in order to avoid further escalation.
As Bangladesh grapples with political instability and religious unrest, Hasina’s accusations against Yunus have fueled further tensions. With Yunus leading the interim government and continued violence targeting religious minorities, Bangladesh finds itself at a crossroads, with growing fears about the country’s future stability.
