Friends of Bangladesh has been trying to get to the bottom of what is going on with regard to the treatment of Hindus and other religious and ethnic minorities in Bangladesh, especially since the Interim Government took power.
One resource that we recommend is this statement from the Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary, which describes both the claims of mistreatment made by minority leaders and what the government has done to understand, investigate, and take action on each and every one of them.
One of the most interesting aspects of this analysis is that most of the alleged attacks and acts of vandalism occurred before the Interim Government took power on August 8. Another is that the police have investigated 100% of the alleged attacks and found that most were political in nature (which does not excuse them, but puts them in a different light). Finally, the statement shows how many people have already been brought to justice. This statement is a model of government accountability for actions taken to deal with an issue of national importance.
Another noteworthy development was a strong statement by U.S. Representative Ro Khanna after he spoke with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus. His balanced and supportive video is likewise a model of Parliamentary research and effective communication with the public.
We applaud the continuing work of Rumor Scanner Bangladesh that debunks false and misleading claims of the oppression of minorities, such as this recent example. So far, this initiative has exposed dozens of false claims made about Bangladesh, mostly from people who live in other countries.
Friends of Bangladesh recently visited Bangladesh and we spoke with a prominent Hindu leader, Aparna Ray Das, the president of the Puja Celebration Front and the Rama Kali Mandir (Temple) in Dhaka. She reported that the situation of Hindus and minorities has markedly improved under the Interim Government, which helps explain the fact that in a Voice of America survey, four times more people said that minorities’ security is better under the Interim Government than believe it is worse. (About 18% said it was unchanged.)
We close with some stark quotations from our interview with Ms. Das, whom we interviewed with her husband and a Muslim colleague in Dhaka on January 14:
“This year, as our festival of Durga Puja approached, everyone was terrified about what might happen. I encouraged people to create their idols and celebrate Durga Puja anyway. The police joined us, along with Border Guard Bangladesh and the RAB, right before the festival. I want to thank the Interim Government for ensuring things went smoothly. One of the advisors, the Home Minister, along with the heads of BDR, BGR, and RAB, visited our temple. This was historic for us.
“Nahid [one of the student Advisers] is the same age as my son. He has been supportive. We celebrated Durga Puja peacefully, something that hadn’t happened in decades. There used to be a severe lack of security, especially for women. I myself didn’t feel safe going out. From 3-year-old children to elderly women, everyone faced the risk of rape. But now, thanks to increased security, I am deeply grateful to the government. Yunus Sir has led the country well. We want fair elections. We want our rights back. He is working towards that.
“Sheikh Hasina is trying to portray that Hindus are being persecuted to discredit Yunus Sir. You know about Chinmoy Das he tried to provoke Hindus against the people. A [Muslim] lawyer was murdered, which was a travesty. Chinmoy Das is a criminal and is now in jail. ISKCON, an organization I’ve been a member of, has banned him. I appreciate some of ISKCON’s practices. They are not terrorists or bad people, but Chinmoy Das’s actions led to them being in disrepute, which in turn was driven by the Awami League’s agenda.
“We need a fair election, and as citizens, we must help the Interim Government. Sheikh Hasina’s people are everywhere, constantly creating chaos in the country. We are a secular nation, celebrating all religious festivals. Previous governments severely oppressed religious minorities. We are all Bangladeshis—this includes everyone, including the Chakmas, Marmas, and other indigenous communities.
“The Bangladeshi people are much safer now. They can sleep peacefully. Previously, the police would arrest people at random, especially those with beards, accusing them of being Jamaat members. I was shocked by how Jamaat members have been treated—they include some good people. Yet, Jamaat-e-Islami as a party has been demonized for so long.
“In July 2024 alone, 65 journalists were killed just for speaking out. For 15 years, journalists were killed or silenced, losing their jobs for raising their voices. The previous government was merely India’s agent. The torture center, Aynaghor, was horrific. Many were tortured just for opposing the government.
“I led the first major protest against India and ISKCON, because I didn’t like how they were disturbing the Interim Government. Many people are afraid to speak out against India. My stance is simple: speak the truth. Why did no one speak up for all these years about the violence against minorities under the Awami League?”
She mentioned to us that the heads of the army, navy, and air force had together visited her temple with their wives in a show of solidarity around the time of the Durga Puja festival in October 2024. She proudly showed us pictures of the visit.
In short, unlike armchair critics and rumor-mongers in other countries, she sees the Interim Government as protecting her rights as best it can, and engaging in acts of solidarity that would have been unthinkable during the previous 15 years.