Scuffle erupts between protesting Hindus, Bangladesh Army in Dhaka | Video
Hindus protested outside Dhaka's Jamuna State Guest House, where Muhammad Yunus, the leader of Bangladesh's interim government, is staying.
Members of Bangladesh's Hindu community protested in capital Dhaka on Tuesday, amid the anti-Hindu violence that the unrest-hit nation has been witnessing since last week, when then prime minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted, while her Awami League government collapsed, following a month-long student-led uprising.
Tuesday's protest was held outside Dhaka's Jamuna State Guest House, where Nobel Pruze winner Muhammed Yunus, the leader of the country's interim government, is staying.
A brief scuffle also broke out between the demonstrators, who were protesting with posters of their family members who went missing during the incidents of violence, and soldiers of the Bangladesh Army, who were guarding the guest house.
Earlier in the day, Yunus, the caretaker administration's chief adviser, visited the historic Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka. There, the renowned economist, 84, assured minorities, including Hindus, of their safety and security in the country.
“Rights are equal for everyone. We are all one people with the same rights. Do not make any distinctions among us. Please assist us. Exercise patience and later judge…what are able to do and what not. If we fail, then criticise us,” Yunus said, according to The Daily Star.
He also cautioned people of Bangladesh against being seen as ‘Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists.’
“In our democratic aspirations, we should only be seen as human beings. Our rights should be ensured. The root of all problems lies in the decay of institutional arrangements. This is why such issues arise…institutional arrangements need to be fixed,” Yunus stated further, adding that Hindus must consider themselves ‘children of the soil.’
At around 8% (1.3 crore) of the total population, Hindus are the largest minority religious group in Bangladesh, home to 17 crore people. The anti-Hindu attacks have drawn widespread condemnation in India and from some Indian-origin lawmakers in the US.
(With ANI inputs)
