Ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called the act of vigilante violence against minorities in Bangladesh "shameful" and "barbaric".
Hasina, who is currently residing in India, was addressing the mob lynching incident that happened to Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old Hindu man. A Muslim mob attacked Das over allegations of blasphemy in Bangladesh's Mymensingh city, where he worked in a factory. The victim's body was hung in a public place and set on fire after being lynched. However, authorities claimed finding no evidence regarding Dipu committing blasphemy.
Speaking to NDTV on Thursday, the former PM called it a "barbaric and shameful act" that reflects the "dangerous collapse of law, order and moral authority" under the interim government.
Notably, Dipu's incident is not an isolated one. Over the last month, cases of targeted violence against minorities have seen a substantial hike in Bangladesh.
Addressing the issue the Awami League leader told NDTV, "Violence in the name of religion has no place in Bangladesh, yet such acts have become disturbingly frequent. This was not an isolated incident, but part of a broader pattern of communal violence that has been allowed to flourish with impunity."
She added that the country is becoming increasingly unsafe for minorities, alleging that the interim government has failed to protect all citizens equally and uphold its most basic duty.
"The perpetrators of these horrific acts of religious violence have never been prosecuted, and their victims have been denied justice, while Yunus himself continues to deny the clearly religious motivations behind these acts," Hasina outlined, adding the erosion of security threatens the secular and democratic fabric of Bangladesh along with the minorities.
A minimum of 51 incidents of communal violence occured in December alone in the country, as per a statement issued by the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council on Thursday.
Ten of these cases were reported murders, 23 cases were related to looting and arson, 10 were incidents of robbery and theft, four cases were of detention and torture on false blasphemy charges, one was an attempted rape, and three were incidents of physical assault.
Homes, temples, and businesses belonging to minority communities have been systematically targeted, the statement underscored.
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