Twenty bodies of Awami League leaders have been discovered across Bangladesh after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left the country in the wake of the ongoing protests in the country. The protests, sparked by student dissatisfaction over job quotas for the children of freedom fighters, have escalated into widespread violence. Hindus have also been targeted in the unrest, adding a grim layer of communal tension to the chaos.
Reports from the Dhaka Tribune indicate that homes and businesses of Awami League leaders and activists have been vandalized and looted throughout the country. One eyewitness account detailed a mob setting fire to the house of former councillor Md Shah Alam in Comilla city, located about 100 km from Dhaka. Tragically, four individuals lost their lives when a mob torched the residence of MP Shafiqul Islam Shimul. Their bodies were later found scattered in rooms and on balconies.
In the capital city of Dhaka, parts of the Awami League’s main office were set ablaze again on Tuesday, having first been burned down at 12:30 pm on Monday. The violence has seen Awami League leaders and minority groups, particularly Hindus, become primary targets for the predominantly Muslim-majority mobs.
Human rights groups and diplomats in Bangladesh have expressed deep concerns over these attacks on minorities, including Hindus. Businesses and homes owned by Hindus, perceived by some as supporters of the ousted Sheikh Hasina, have been particularly vulnerable. Rana Dasgupta, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, stated, “Houses and shops of minority people were attacked, vandalized and looted, at least 97 places on Monday and Tuesday.” He also reported that at least ten Hindu temples were assaulted by “miscreants” on Monday.
In a particularly heinous act, a Hindu man was beaten to death in the southern Bagerhat district, according to a hospital official who spoke to AFP under conditions of anonymity due to safety concerns.
The violence reached a horrifying peak when 24 people died after a mob set fire to the Zabeer International Hotel in Khulna division. The hotel is owned by Shahin Chakladar, the General Secretary of the Jashore district Awami League. “The bodies were lying on different floors,” recounted Mamun Mahmud, Deputy Director of the Khulna Fire Service.
Amidst this turmoil, Bangladesh’s Nobel-winning microfinance pioneer Muhammad Yunus has been appointed to lead an interim government. This decision, announced by the presidency, followed a high-level meeting involving President Mohammed Shahabuddin, the heads of the army, navy, and air force, along with student leaders. The statement from President Shahabuddin’s office read, “(They) decided to form an interim government with Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus as its chief.”
