Bangladesh’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, has called on the country’s politicians to set aside their differences and unite against what he describes as “Indian aggression.”
This plea comes in the wake of a student-led uprising in August, which led to the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, forcing her to flee for her life and ending her 15-year rule.
Relations between Bangladesh and India have soured, with India accusing the Yunus administration of failing to protect the country’s minority Hindus. This has strained the diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Yunus, addressing a meeting of Bangladeshi political leaders, accused his critics of spreading falsehoods and undermining efforts to build a new Bangladesh. He claimed that these rumours were being propagated in specific countries and among influential groups.
He urged politicians to set aside their differences and unite against what he framed as a disinformation campaign, describing the situation as a matter of the country’s survival.
A caretaker government led by Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has been entrusted with implementing democratic reforms ahead of new elections.
In the wake of Hasina’s ouster, a series of retaliatory attacks against Hindus and other minorities occurred, largely due to their perceived support for the former government.
While the Yunus administration has condemned the attacks, it argues that they were more politically motivated than religious, and it accuses India of exaggerating the extent of the violence and engaging in a “propaganda campaign.”
Since Hasina’s departure, Bangladesh has witnessed numerous protests against India, and diplomatic relations between the two countries have deteriorated significantly.
India has expressed growing concern over the rising violence against minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh. Last week, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reiterated its concerns, urging the interim government to ensure the protection of all religious communities.
“The interim government must fulfill its responsibility to protect all minorities,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
In a sharp criticism of Yunus, Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina accused him of “genocide” and failing to safeguard the nation’s religious minorities.
In a virtual address, Hasina condemned the persecution of Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians under Yunus' administration. She claimed that Yunus was orchestrating a systematic campaign of violence against these communities.
Hasina also alleged that there were plans to assassinate her and her sister, Sheikh Rehana, invoking the tragic memory of their father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who was assassinated in 1975.