Dhaka: Deposed Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina accused Muhammad Yunus, who is heading the interim government, of mass killings and the targeting of minorities amid a fresh wave of unrest in the country. In her first public speech since stepping down in August and fleeing the country, Hasina made the remarks during a virtual address to supporters of her Awami League party this week.
Hasina, who sought refuge in India after being ousted from office following widespread protests led by student groups, slammed Yunus for the string of attacks on temples, churches, and the religious outfit ISKCON. "Today, I have been accused of mass killings. In reality, it is Muhammad Yunus who has indulged in mass killings through a meticulous designed plan along with the student co-ordinators. They are the masterminds. Even Tarique Rahman (BNP leader and Khaleda Zia's son) from London has said that if the deaths continue, then the government won't last," Hasina said.
Referring to the alleged atrocities against the minorities in the country, Hasina said, "Today, teachers, police are all being attacked and killed... Hindus, Buddhists, Christians are being targeted. Churches and several temples have been attacked. Why are minorities being targeted in Bangladesh now?"
The address was part of a commemoration event in New York on December 1 to observe “Bijoy Dibos” or Victory Day, marking the defeat of Pakistani forces in Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War. The scathing attack on Yunus comes amid a wave of attacks on the Hindu community by radical Islamists in Bangladesh. The arrests of three Hindu monks have only added to the concerns. Hasina fled Bangladesh on August 5 amid violent student protests, with the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government subsequently taking over the country's charge.
The former Prime Minister claimed there was a plan to assassinate her just like her father and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was killed. Hasina said she left Bangladesh as she didn't want a "massacre". "I did not want a massacre. If I wanted to hold on to power, there would have been a massacre. When people were being killed indiscriminately, I decided I should leave. Had my security personnel opened fire, so many would have died at Gana Bhavan. I did not want that," she said.
'Many are not liking our freedom': YunusBangladesh's interim government chief, Muhammad Yunus, has urged national unity in the face of what he described as a coordinated "campaign" by "big countries" to undermine the legitimacy of the uprising that brought his administration to power. Speaking this week to representatives of political parties, Yunus stopped short of naming any specific country but addressed escalating tensions, particularly with India. Yunus referred to "big countries" allegedly involved in spreading misinformation about the new government. "Many are not liking our freedom, the (new) independence, desperate efforts are being made to upset it," Yunus told leaders representing several political parties. |
