Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh interim government.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Interim government’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Sunday (September 8, 2024) said that Bangladesh wants to maintain good relations with India while asserting that it should be based on equity and fairness.

Mr. Yunus, 84, made the remarks while responding to a question at a meeting with students who had participated in the student-people revolution that ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last month, state-run BSS news agency reported.

“We need to maintain good relations with India. But it should be based on equity and fairness,” the chief adviser’s special assistant Mahfuj Alam quoted him as saying.

Mr. Mahfuj, who briefed the media after the meeting, added that the chief adviser said Bangladesh always gives importance to mutual respect and equity in maintaining relations with neighbours.

He stressed reviving the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to enhance regional cooperation.

The interim government headed by Mr. Yunus was appointed days after Ms. Hasina resigned and fled to India on August 5 following unprecedented anti-government student-led protests over a controversial quota system in government jobs.

Last week, Mr. Yunus expressed a desire for good ties with India but insisted that New Delhi must abandon the narrative that only Hasina’s leadership ensures the country’s stability.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Sunday (September 8, 2024) expressed surprise over Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s remarks, emphasising that he does not foresee any immediate threat of conflict between the two neighbours.

“I am more surprised than concerned. I don’t understand why he (Singh) made such remarks… I don’t find any reason behind that,” he told reporters at the foreign ministry here when asked for his comments on Mr. Singh’s remarks.

Addressing a joint commanders conference in Lucknow on Thursday (September 5, 2024), Mr. Singh called upon the top military brass to analyse the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza as well as the current situation in Bangladesh to “predict” any future problems and stay prepared to deal with the “unexpected.”

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus signs a document after taking the oath of office as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Aug. 8, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Amid concerns of possible unrest during Durga puja, Bangladesh’s interim government on Sunday (September 8, 2024) warned potential troublemakers, pledging tough action against those disrupting communal harmony or targeting places of worship during the Hindu festival.

Durga puja will be celebrated from October 9 to 13.

“If anyone disrupts or harasses people at worship halls, we will not spare them. We will bring them under the law and ensure peace,” Religious Affairs Adviser Dr AFM Khalid Hossain said during a visit to the Prematli Gaurang Bari Kalimandir in Godagari at Rajshahi district.

He urged members of the Hindu community to celebrate their festivals with enthusiasm and religious fervour and assured them that no one would be allowed to harm their temples, The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

“If you fear attacks on your temples, be assured that no criminals will succeed. We have engaged local people, including madrasa students, to take turns guarding the temples. No one will stop us from celebrating our religious festivals,” Hossain said, asserting that the interim government wants to transform Bangladesh into a state free of discrimination and sectarianism.

The minority Hindu population faced vandalism of their businesses and properties, and destruction of temples, during the student-led violence that erupted following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. After unprecedented anti-government protests that peaked on August 5, Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled to India.

On Saturday at Rajshahi Circuit House, Hossain met with government officials and warned that miscreants might attempt to disrupt communal harmony ahead of Durga puja.

“We must collectively resist such efforts,” he said, suggesting that madrasa students could be engaged as volunteers to help safeguard temples during the festival.

The adviser also instructed law enforcement and the administration to take measures to secure puja mandaps.

Last month, thousands of Hindus staged protest rallies in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka and the northeastern port city of Chattogram, demanding protection.

The Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance in August said the minority Hindu community faced attacks and threats in 278 locations across 48 districts since the fall of the Hasina-led government and termed it as an “assault on the Hindu religion”.

Hindus, who made up 22% of Bangladesh’s population at the time of the 1971 Liberation War, now constitute about 8% of 170 million.

Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh interim government. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

There is no plan to change the national anthem of Bangladesh, the country’s Religious Affairs Advisor AFM Khalid Hossain said on Saturday (September 7, 2024).

“The interim government will not do anything to create controversy,” Mr. Hossain told the media after visiting the Islamic Foundation in Rajshahi and attending a gathering of dignitaries.

This comes after Abdullahil Amaan Azmi, the son of former Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ghulam Azam, earlier this week called for a change in the country’s national anthem and Constitution.

He said: “I leave the matter of the national anthem to this government. The current national anthem we have is contrary to the existence of our independent Bangladesh. It reflects the time of the Bengal partition and the merging of the two Bengals. How can an anthem created to unite the two Bengals become the national anthem of an independent Bangladesh? This anthem was imposed on us by India in 1971. Many songs could serve as a national anthem. The government should form a new commission to select a new national anthem.”

Mr. Hossain said Bangladesh, as a neighbouring country, wants a friendly relationship with India.

“We have heard reports of attacks on our cricket team in India. Since the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is in charge, they will decide on the necessary course of action,” Dhaka Tribune quoted the advisor as saying.

Terming attacks on mosques, temples, and shrines as “heinous”, Mr. Hossain said: “Those who attack places of worship are enemies of humanity. They are criminals, and they will be prosecuted under existing laws.”

Mr. Hossain further said local citizens as well as madrasa students will guard temples during the Durga Puja to prevent any attack or sabotage.

“Madrasa students were never involved in terrorism. That was propaganda and conspiracy by the previous government.”

The advisor said that after the change in government, there had been attacks on the houses of some members of the Hindu community just as Muslim houses were attacked and this should not be viewed differently.

Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh interim government, during an interview to PTI.
| Photo Credit: PTI

There should be a revival of the “spirit of SAARC,” Muhammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh’s interim government has said, underlining that the eight-member bloc can solve many of the region’s problems.

In an interview with PTI at his official residence in Dhaka, Chief Adviser Yunus said that although the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was formed with a great cause, it now exists only on paper and is not functioning.

The regional grouping comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Mr. Yunus mentioned that he would try to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session scheduled to be held later this month.

He also mentioned that he will try to get the heads of state of SAARC nations together for a photo op.

“Obviously, we will try to meet [Prime Minister Narendra Modi]. I will try if all the heads of state of SAARC nations come together and take a photo. SAARC was formed for a great cause; it now exists only on paper and is not functioning. We have forgotten the name of SAARC; I am trying to revive the spirit of SAARC,” he said.

Prime Minister Modi is likely to address the high-level UN General Assembly session on September 26, according to a provisional list of speakers issued by the UN.

The high-level General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly will take place from September 24-30.

“The SAARC summit has not taken place for quite a long time. If we come together, a lot of problems will be resolved,” Mr. Yunus said.

Nepal has been making efforts to activate the regional grouping, which has not been very effective since 2016.

The 2016 SAARC Summit was to be held in Islamabad. But after the terrorist attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir on September 18 that year, India expressed its inability to participate in the summit due to “prevailing circumstances”.

The summit was called off after Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also declined to participate in the Islamabad meet.

The Nobel laureate noted that although the European Union, which was formed along similar lines as SAARC, has achieved a lot through mutual cooperation, SAARC has yet to achieve the same.

“The European countries have achieved a lot through the European Union. We have to ensure that SAARC works. Look at the European Union, and how brilliantly it works. If there is a problem regarding Pakistan, other ways can be worked out. But the functioning of SAARC must not stop,” he said.

The SAARC has not been very effective since 2016, as its biennial summits have not taken place since the last one in Kathmandu in 2014.

Speaking on the issue of the Rohingya influx in Bangladesh, Yunus said he would seek help from India to convince Myanmar to take back its population.

Mr. Yunus also said Dhaka needs the help of both India and China to manage the crisis.

“We need the help of India and China to resolve the issue. Nearly one million people have come to Bangladesh, and now this population is growing. It is putting tremendous pressure on Bangladesh’s economy. Some countries are taking them but in small numbers. As India shares good relations with Myanmar, we need India’s help in convincing Myanmar to take them back,” he said.

Over one million Rohingya fled to Bangladesh in 2017 after a brutal military crackdown in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, described by the UN and others as ethnic cleansing, and now live in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar—among the world’s largest and most densely populated—with little hope of returning to Myanmar, where they are largely denied citizenship and basic rights.

Nobel laureate and Chief adviser of Bangladesh’s new interim government Muhammad Yunus. File
| Photo Credit: AFP

Citizens of Bangladesh will not be discriminated against on the basis of their religion or political beliefs, Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, said on Sunday (August 25, 2024). Delivering a televised address to the nation ahead of the national holiday on the occasion of Sri Krishna Janmashtami, Prof. Yunus assured that his government would deliver on the promises made to the students and the common people who overthrew the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and pledged to hold elections after a nationwide “political consultation”.

“We will not discriminate against anyone for following a different religion or for having a different political opinion. We want to include all members of the country into one family,” Prof. Yunus said speaking in Bangla and added, “Religious minorities, tribes and other marginalised communities are equal citizens of the ‘new’ Bangladesh and they will have equal rights.”

The speech telecast at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday (August 25, 2024) is symbolically significant in the backdrop of recent reports of attacks against places of worship and property belonging to the minority religious groups in Bangladesh. Sri Krishna Janmashtami along with Bijoya Dashami, Christmas, Good Friday, and Buddha Purnima are some of the religious events of minority groups that Bangladesh marks as national holidays.

Preparation for Janmashtami is underway in Hindu temples and institutions in Dhaka and other cities of Bangladesh. Programmes are also scheduled to be held by Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee at the Dhakeshwari National Temple which is the most important Hindu religious institution in Dhaka. This is expected to be followed by a special Janmashtami procession in the city.

Bangladesh’s communal harmony had become the focus after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5. After Ms. Hasina fled the country in a military aircraft, there were reports of attacks on minority religious groups that drew attention from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who mentioned the matter in his August 15 speech from the Red Fort in Delhi. Protection of minority rights was discussed between Prof. Yunus and Mr. Modi on August 16.

Prof. Yunus also addressed directly for the first time the question of the tenure of the caretaker government and said that the caretaker dispensation will be in charge as long as the people of Bangladesh want them to implement the agenda of the student agitators who have laid out a plan for corruption-free governance. “We are not the people from the governing class. We came here responding to the plea of the student protesters. The date of the election will be decided through a political consultation. We will leave when people want us to leave,” Prof. Yunus said indicating that the interim government will be around till a transparent election is held in the country.

Ever since taking over on August 7, the Yunus-led interim administration has been unable to contain the demonstrations and protests that have erupted across Dhaka making daily activities difficult for lakhs of people. He appealed to the agitators to roll back their protests and go home saying, “We have noticed that you are holding protests near our offices that are creating hurdles in implementing our tasks. Please let us perform our duties without hurdles.”

A team from the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights is currently visiting Bangladesh to discuss the violence that took place during and after the uprising that led to the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina. The team is being led by Rory Mungoven, Chief of the Asia-Pacific region at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Along with the Hasina government’s excess use of state power to crush the uprising, the visiting team is also expected to look into the allegations of communal violence.

New Delhi:

In a key address to diplomats in Dhaka on Sunday, Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser to Bangladesh’s interim government, called for comprehensive reforms before holding the next general elections. This meeting marked Mr Yunus’ first engagement with the diplomatic community since assuming office on August 8, following the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Mr Yunus, a Nobel laureate, took charge amid a volatile political landscape that saw mass protests and violence resulting in the ousting of Ms Hasina. In his address, Yunus outlined the interim government’s roadmap for a stable and democratic Bangladesh, starting with a free, fair, and participatory election.

“We will hold a free, fair participatory election as soon as we can complete our mandate to carry out vital reforms in our election commission, judiciary, civil administration, security forces and media,” he told diplomats, including India’s High Commissioner in Dhaka, Pranay Verma.

Restoring Normalcy 

On August 5, Ms Hasina, aged 76, fled Bangladesh by helicopter to India as protesters overran the streets of Dhaka. Her 15-year rule, marked by allegations of human rights abuses, came to a dramatic end. The weeks leading up to her ousting were bloody, with more than 450 dying during the unrest and several reports of attacks on Bangladesh’s Hindu minority community.

The Chief Adviser said restoring law and order in the country is a top priority for his government. “We will be close to normalcy within a short period, with the unwavering support of our people and patriotic armed forces,” Mr Yunus said. “The top priority of the Interim Government would be to bring the law and order situation under control…The armed forces will continue to serve in aid of civil power as long as the situation warrants.”

Reviving Economy 

In addition to political reforms, Mr Yunus spoke about the need for robust economic reforms. The country had suffered under what he described as Ms Hasina’s “brutal dictatorship,” which, according to Mr Yunus, had led to widespread corruption and mismanagement.

“Our government will undertake far-reaching economic reforms to restore macroeconomic stability and sustain growth,” he said.

Mr Yunus accused Sheikh Hasina of systematically destroying the country’s institutions during her 15-year tenure. He alleged that elections under Ms Hasina’s rule were rigged, and democratic rights were suppressed.

“In their efforts to stay in power, Sheikh Hasina’s dictatorship destroyed every institution of the country,” Mr Yunus said. He described the judiciary as broken and accused the former administration of allowing political patronage to rob banks and plunder the state coffers.

The Nobel laureate described the recent mass uprising as a “Second Revolution,” led by students and ordinary citizens who sought to reclaim their democratic rights. 

International Support

In his message to the international community, Mr Yunus called for continued support in rebuilding Bangladesh and transitioning to a fully functional democracy. He assured the diplomats that Bangladesh would maintain its role as a proponent of multilateralism, with the United Nations at the core of its foreign policy.

“We believe all our friends and partners in the international community will stand by our government and people as we chart a new democratic future,” Yunus said.

“Bangladesh stands at the crossroads of a new beginning. Our valiant students and people deserve a lasting transformation of our nation. It is a difficult journey and we need your help along the way. We need to fulfil their aspirations. The sooner the better,” he added.

Mr Yunus also welcomed the United Nations’ decision to send a fact-finding mission to investigate the recent violence, committing to cooperate fully with the international inquiry.

An application was filed with a court in Bangladesh on Sunday (August 18, 2024) to register a case against deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and 33 others, accusing them of carrying out a ‘mass’ murder by indiscriminately firing on a rally organised in 2013 by Hefazat-e-Islam, in Dhaka.

“Babul Sardar Chakhari, chairman of the Bangladesh People’s Party (BPP), applied to the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Zaki-Al-Farabi,” the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

The application accused them of the ‘mass’ murder during the rally at Shapla Chattar in Motijheel on May 5, 2013. The court recorded the plaintiff’s statement and said it would pass an order on the issue later.

With this, 76-year-old Hasina, who resigned from the Premiership and fled to India on August 5 following a mass uprising, now faces 11 cases, including eight for murder, one for abduction, and two for committing crimes against humanity and genocide, in Bangladesh.

More than 230 people were killed in Bangladesh in the incidents of violence that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina government, taking the death toll to more than 600 since the massive protest by students against a controversial quota system in government jobs first started in mid-July.

Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal on Wednesday (August 14, 2024) started an investigation against the former Premier and nine others on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity that took place from July 15 to August 5 during students’ mass movement against her government.

An interim government was formed after the fall of the Hasina-led regime, and 84-year-old Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been appointed as its Chief Advisor.

New Delhi:

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus – who last week took oath as head of Bangladesh’s interim government – has heaped praise on students who spearheaded protests against ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. “There is no doubt… because of the student-led revolution the whole government collapsed…” Mr Yunus told reporters after a Sunday night meet with the students.

“I said (to the students), ‘I respect you… I admire you. What you have done is absolutely unparalleled… and because you ordered me to do this (to take charge of the interim administration) I accept…’,” Mr Yunus said, recounting part of the conversation he had with the students.

Two of the student protesters – Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud – are part of a 16-member advisory council that was sworn in with Mr Yunus. The 84-year-old won the 2006 Nobel Peace prize for his work in microfinance and setting up the Grameen Bank, which works for community development.

READ | Md Yunus Takes Oath As Head Of Bangladesh Interim Government

Mr Yunus has also stressed the wave of resignations of high-ranking public officials, including the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and head of Bangladesh’s central bank, was “conducted legally”.

They had reportedly been issued ultimatums to quit.

READ | Why Bangladesh Chief Justice, Sheikh Hasina Loyalist, Was Forced To Quit

“They want to have a new court,” he said of the students. “So they went there and asked the chief justice to resign and put their pressure to make him resign.”

“I’m sure they will find the legal way to justify all of this, because legally… all the steps were followed,” he said. His office only agreed to publish these quotes Monday evening.

“The Monster Is Gone”

“Finally, this moment, the monster is gone,” Mr Yunus also said, referring to Ms Hasina’s departure and the end of what her critics said was an autocratic rule that stifled all dissent. 

However, Mr Yunus warned the interim government that public goodwill is a limited resource and that they would face many difficult decisions ahead. “The moment you start taking decisions, some people will like your decisions, some people will not like your decisions,” he said. “…that’s the way it works.”

Interim Bangladesh Government

The interim government was formed after Bangladesh witnessed weeks of violence and clashes – triggered by protests over a jobs quota – forced Ms Hasina, a five-time PM, to resign and flee.

READ | Explained: How Gen Z Women And Military Transformed Bangladesh

Sheikh Hasina left the Prime Minister’s residence in Dhaka – hours before it was overrun – and flew to India in a Bangladeshi military aircraft. The 76-year-old, seen as a key ally of New Delhi, remains in an undisclosed location amid reports she will seek political asylum, possibly in the United Kingdom.

Following Ms Hasina’s departure Md Yunus – who faced multiple corruption charges under the previous government and was in Europe while Sheikh Hasina was in power – was picked by the protesting to oversee democratic reforms.

His first act after being administered an oath of office – and taking the title of ‘chief advisor’ – was to lead a solemn tribute to the more than 450 people who died in the protests.

READ | Muhammad Yunus Honours Heroes, First Act As Bangladesh Interim Leader

It is unclear when Bangladesh will hold an election to select a new Prime Minister. Whenever that is, Mrs Hasina is likely to return to contest, her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy told The Times of India. “She will go back to Bangladesh the moment the interim government decides to hold an election,” he said.

India Extends “Best Wishes”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended his best wishes to Mr Yunus,

READ |PM Extends Best Wishes To Yunus, “Hopes For Safety Of Hindus”

“We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities. India remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfil the shared aspirations of both our peoples for peace, security and development,” he wrote on X. 

READ | How Sheikh Hasina’s Ouster Affects India-Bangladesh Ties

With the change of guard in neighbouring Bangladesh, the Indian government now faces a diplomatic dilemma, even as China was also swift to welcome Dhaka’s new authorities, saying it “attaches importance to the development” of relations.

With input from agencies

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Dhaka:

Muhammad Yunus was on Sunday acquitted in a graft case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission, three days after he took oath as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government, according to a media report.

Judge Md Rabiul Alam of the Special Judge’s Court-4 of Dhaka accepted the Anti-Corruption Commission’s application which was filed with the court, seeking withdrawal of prosecution of the case, following section 494 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, an official of the anti-graft agency was quoted as saying by The Daily Star newspaper.

On August 7, a Dhaka court acquitted Yunus and three top officials of Grameen Telecom – Ashraful Hassan, M Shahjahan and Nurjahan Begum – in a labour law violation case.

Yunus, the 84-year-old economist, on Thursday took oath as the chief adviser of the interim government.

Nurjahan Begum, who was also an accused in the graft case, is a member of the 16-member Council of Advisers which will assist Yunus in running the state’s affairs.

Yunus had been in a protracted row with the Sheikh Hasina government due to obscure reasons while authorities initiated a series of investigations against him after she came to power in 2008.

Bangladesh authorities launched a review of the statutory Grameen Bank’s activities in 2011 and fired Yunus as its founding managing director on charges of violating the government retirement regulation.

Yunus was charged under dozens of cases during Hasina’s regime.

In January, a court sentenced Yunus to six months in jail on charges of labour law violation.

Many people believe Hasina became enraged when Yunus announced that he would form a political party in 2007 when a military-backed government ran the country and Hasina was in prison.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Dhaka:

Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus on Saturday condemned attacks on the minority communities in the violence-hit nation, terming them as “heinous”, and urged the youth to protect all Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist families from harm.

Members of minority communities in Bangladesh faced at least 205 incidents of attacks in 52 districts since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5, according to two Hindu organisations — Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad — in the country.

Thousands of Bangladeshi Hindus have been trying to flee to neighbouring India to escape the violence.

Reaching out to students who are at the forefront of the protests, Yunus, a Nobel laureate, cautioned them not to let their efforts be sabotaged by those seeking to undermine their progress, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

“There are many standing by to make your efforts futile. Don’t fail this time,” he said while addressing the students at the Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur city.

Yunus unequivocally condemned the attacks on minority communities in the country, calling the acts “heinous”.

He urged the students to protect all Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist families from harm.

“Are they not the people of this country? You have been able to save the country; can’t you save some families?…You must say — no one can harm them. They are my brothers; we fought together, and we will stay together,” he asserted, underscoring the need for national unity.

Stressing the importance of youth leadership, Yunus said, “This Bangladesh, is now in your hands. You have the power to take it wherever you want. This isn’t a matter of research — it’s a power within you.” He also urged the people of Bangladesh to emulate the way student activist Abu Sayed stood valiantly during the anti-government demonstrations that led to the toppling of the Sheikh Hasina government.

Sayed, 25, of Rangpur’s Begum Rokeya University, was among the first protesters to be killed in police firing on July 16 during the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.

Yunus, who was sworn in on Thursday as the head of the interim government, met with Sayed’s family members in Rangpur’s Pirganj upazila, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

“We have to stand the way Abu Sayed stood…Abu Sayeed’s mother is everyone’s mother. We have to protect her, protect her sisters, protect her brothers. Everyone has to do it together,” he told reporters after meeting Sayed’s family.

Yunus said that the responsibility of building a new Bangladesh is for every Bangladeshi.

“We will remember him (Abu Sayed) through this. Therefore, we should ensure that we do the work (needed),” he said.

“Abu Sayed is no longer a member of just one family. He is the child of all families in Bangladesh. The children who will grow up and attend school and college will know about Abu Sayed and will say to themselves, ‘I too will fight for justice.’ Abu Sayed is now in every home,” Yunus said.

Meanwhile, thousands of Hindu agitators, including students, blocked the Shahbagh intersection for the second consecutive day on Saturday, protesting attacks on their homes, shops, and temples in various parts of the country, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

They shouted slogans such as “Save the Hindus,” “Why are my temples and homes being looted? We want answers,” “Hindu persecution in independent Bangladesh, it will not continue,” “Religion is for individuals, the state is for everyone,” and “Ensure the safety of Hindus”.

A number of Hindu temples, households and businesses were vandalised, women assaulted and at least two Hindu leaders affiliated with the Awami League party headed by Hasina were killed in the violence in Bangladesh after she fled the country, according to community leaders in Dhaka.

The protesters warned that if immediate measures are not taken to stop the persecution of Hindus, they will go for continuous protest programmes.

They also demanded the formation of a ministry for minorities, the establishment of a minority protection commission, the enactment and implementation of strict laws to prevent all forms of attacks on minorities, and the allocation of 10 per cent of parliamentary seats for minorities.

In another major development, Bangladesh’s Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan and five other top judges on Saturday tendered their resignations, five days after the fall of the Hasina regime amid massive street protests and students marching towards the apex court demanding a revamp of the judiciary.

The 65-year-old top judge revealed his decision around 1 pm after protesters of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement gathered at the apex court premises. The students had issued an ultimatum to him and the judges of the Appellate Division to resign by 1 pm “I feel it is necessary to share a special news with you. Our chief justice resigned a few minutes back. His resignation letter has already reached the law ministry,” law adviser, equivalent to the minister of the newly-installed interim government, Prof Asif Nazrul said in a Facebook video message.

Appellate Division Justice Md Ashfaqul Islam has been appointed as the acting chief justice following Hassan’s resignation, Supreme Court’s Public Relations Officer Md Shafiqul Islam told the media.

Several other top officials, including Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Maksud Kamal and Bangla Academy Director General Professor Dr Md Harun-Ur-Rashid Askari, resigned from their posts in the wake of new protests by students and other demonstrators. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)