Members of Bangladesh’s Hindu community staged a protest in the capital, Dhaka, on Tuesday in response to the anti-Hindu violence that has gripped the nation since last week. The unrest began after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted and her Awami League government collapsed following a month-long student-led uprising.

The protest on Tuesday took place outside Dhaka’s Jamuna State Guest House, where Nobel Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, the leader of the country’s interim government, is residing.

A brief altercation erupted between the demonstrators, who were holding posters of their missing family members from the recent violence, and the Bangladesh Army soldiers stationed at the guest house for security.

Earlier in the day, Yunus, the chief adviser of the caretaker administration, visited the historic Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka. The 84-year-old renowned economist reassured minorities, including Hindus, of their safety and security in the country.

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“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 warned the people of Bangladesh against identifying themselves 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.’
With Hindus making up about 8% (1.3 crore) of Bangladesh’s total population of 17 crore, they are the largest minority religious group in the country. The recent anti-Hindu attacks have sparked widespread condemnation in India and from some Indian-origin lawmakers in the United States.
(With inputs from ANI)