Since Prime Minister Hasina fled abroad, numerous attacks on Hindu homes, temples and businesses have been reported.
Bangladesh’s new interim government says it is working to resolve attacks on Hindus and other religious minorities reported following the overthrow of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Hindus are the largest religious minority in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh and many of them are supporters of Hasina’s party, the Awami League.
Since Hasina’s abrupt resignation and flight abroad on Monday ended her 15 years in power, there have been numerous reports of attacks on Hindu homes, temples and businesses.
“The attacks on religious minorities in some places have been noted with great concern,” the interim cabinet said on Sunday in its first official statement since its members were sworn in on Thursday evening.
The Cabinet announced that it would “immediately meet with representative bodies and other concerned groups to seek ways to end these heinous attacks.”
Thousands of people took part in protests on Sunday demanding an end to violence against Hindu communities, the Dhaka Tribune reported.
The protesters protested against “destruction of houses, invasion of temple grounds, arson, looting and other forms of violence,” the report said.
“We are appalled by the attacks on Hindus, the torture and the destruction of temples. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure our security. We are citizens of this country and have a right to live in security,” the Dhaka Tribune quoted a Hindu speaker as saying at a rally in the city of Bogra.
The statement by the transitional government, also known as the advisory council, lists numerous urgent priorities.
The government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus ordered “support” for the families of protesters killed during the weeks-long demonstrations that led to Hasina’s resignation.
It provided public funds to support victims of the riots that began in July and left more than 300 people dead.
The council, which is supposed to steer democratic reforms in the South Asian country of 170 million people, also announced that it would restart the capital Dhaka’s subway system by the end of the week and would soon appoint a new central bank governor to replace a Hasina loyalist who was forced to resign.
