Dhaka: Bangladesh’s interim prime minister Muhammad Yunus on Thursday sought the cooperation of religious leaders to gather accurate information about attacks on minorities and bring the perpetrators to justice amid reports of attacks on Hindus in the country. Speaking at a meeting of religious leaders of Bangladesh here, Chief Counsel Yunus said that the issue of attacks on minorities has come up again and there is an information gap between reality and news published by foreign media.
“We want to know accurate information and establish a process to get information,” he was quoted as saying by the state-run BSS news agency.
Yunus did not mention “foreign” media, but some of his colleagues and aides in the interim cabinet have accused a section of the Indian media of spreading misleading information, particularly about the persecution of the Hindu community.
Addressing a meeting attended by leaders of Muslim, Hindu, Christian and Buddhist communities, Yunus said that “many questions arose in my mind after hearing (foreign) media reports and what people were saying” and called the meeting. Cooperation of religious leaders and suggestions for gathering “accurate information” and problem solving.
“There is no difference between our goals. Please tell us how we will get correct information. Sometimes depending on official information does not help. They (officials) mostly say what will please the higher authorities, preferring not to tell the truth. does,” he said.
Yunus said that all citizens of Bangladesh have equal rights and it is the responsibility of the state to ensure their rights.
If there is any incident of attack on minorities in the country, immediate information about such incidents should be collected and the culprits should be brought to justice, he said.
“People who are guilty should be held accountable for their actions,” he said.
The Chief Counsel stressed on taking measures to create an environment to prevent such incidents and ensure immediate redress for the victims.
“I think most of the people of Bangladesh agree with what I have said,” he added.
“We are not enemies of each other despite our differences,” he was quoted as telling the religious leaders by the Daily Star newspaper.
“I have asked you to join (today’s dialogue) on how information can be collected securely so that information providers do not get into trouble,” he said.
Yunus said that when he took office in August following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, reports of minority repression prompted him to make a clarion call for national unity as “one family” despite differences in faith, views and traditions.
Referring to his visit to Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka on the occasion of Durga Puja, he said that the Hindu festival in the country was celebrated with festivity when people from all walks of life joined in and turned the event into a national festival.
The minority Hindu community in Muslim-majority Bangladesh has faced more than 200 attacks in 50-odd districts since Hasina’s Awami League government fell on August 5.
