Has the Awami League Condemned Yunus-Led Interim Government for Minority Persecution in Bangladesh?

Dhaka, Aug 5 (NationPress) The Awami League of Bangladesh has vehemently condemned the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus, voicing serious alarm over what it has termed a "cruel and systematic campaign of minority persecution" that has unfolded over the past year.

The party claims that under Yunus’ administration, more than 2,442 incidents targeting minorities have been recorded, asserting that these acts are "ignored, facilitated, or even endorsed by the state."

“August 5, 2024, was not a pivotal moment. It served as a green light. Within just 16 days, ethnic cleansing spread across the nation. And the global community? Continues to celebrate Yunus. The genocide of 1971 was meant to be our last. But under Yunus, it has resurfaced,” the Awami League posted on X.

The party raised concerns about whether Bangladesh remains the same nation or has morphed into a "Taliban state in disguise".

“The events from August 2024 to August 2025 have overshadowed even the atrocities carried out by Pakistani forces in 1971. With direct backing from the Yunus government, a coordinated effort of religious cleansing, ethnic persecution, and planned genocide against minority groups has unfolded across the country,” the party remarked.

Focusing on the violence against Hindu minorities in various districts, the party highlighted specific incidents: in Barishal, a Hindu family faced beatings and death threats; in Habiganj, a college student named Monpriya Sarkar disappeared; and in Cumilla, a Hindu woman was gang-raped in her residence. In Khilkhet, government forces demolished a Durga temple, while idols were shattered and temples were set ablaze in the Thakurgaon region, forcing the community into exile.

The Awami League declared, “Qawmi madrasas propagate hatred, Army officers ridicule Hindu chants, police whisper about genocide, while temples have transformed into tombs and faith has become a battlefield.”

The party concluded that Bangladesh has turned into "a graveyard for its minorities" and what began as unrest last year has escalated into "organized religious cleansing."

“The Yunus government’s tenure has heralded the emergence of a harsh, communal state—where being a minority is viewed as a crime, and religious identity incites fear. Over the past year, minorities have endured systematic and unrelenting terror: fanatics have besieged temples, assaulted women, kidnapped girls, and incinerated homes—all while the state remained shockingly silent,” the Awami League remarked.