Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, has refuted claims of violence against the country’s Hindu minority, describing the allegations as “fake news” originating from India. In an interview with US journalist Mehdi Hassan, Yunus stated that manufacturing “fake news” is a “specialty” of India and that a “barrage” of it is being directed at his country.
Yunus acknowledged the existence of “normal conflicts” between neighbors regarding issues like land demarcation but argued that these disputes should not be interpreted through a communal lens. He dismissed several international reports that documented communal violence against Hindus in Bangladesh following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government last year. “I would say, government is very alert on that one because this is the one thing that India is always pushing,” he remarked.
The issue gained international traction after Hasina’s government fell, with reports of communal incidents making headlines globally. US President Donald Trump described the Yunus government’s treatment of Hindus as “barbaric,” a comment Yunus questioned by casting doubt on whether Trump had made such a statement or was aware of the situation in Bangladesh.
Last November, an estimated 30,000 Hindus protested in Dhaka, demanding protection from what they termed repeated attacks and harassment. The demonstrators also urged the government to withdraw sedition charges against Hindu leaders, including monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, whose arrest had caused significant concern in India.
In his interview, Yunus appealed to the Hindu community in Bangladesh to identify as citizens first to avoid feeling “isolated.” He advised, “Always say I am a citizen of this country. I’m entitled to all the protection, the state is supposed to give it to me. So, then you’ve a bigger coverage.”