Dhaka: The head of the interim government in Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, said on Sunday that there would be no discrimination against any Bangladeshi on the basis of their religion or political beliefs, The Hindu reported.
In a televised address on the occasion of the Hindu Festival Krishna Janmashtami, he said that they wanted to include all members of the country into one family.
Krishna Janmashtami is a national holiday in Bangladesh.
He continued that religious minorities, tribes and other marginalized communities are equal citizens before the “new Bangladesh”, and all will have equal rights.
It was on August 8 Yunus took charge as advisor to the interim government in Dhaka. This was after the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India on August 5.
In July, a student-led protest started in the country, dissenting against a controversial quota scheme for government jobs, which grew enormous into a broader agitation against the Hasina government. The protests witnessed violent incidents and the death of more than 500 people. There were also reports of violence against Hindus and other minority communities in the country.
A day after Yunus took office, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged him to ensure the safety and protection of all Hindus and other minority communities. Then, India’s external affairs ministry promised that New Delhi would monitor the situation in the conflict-ridden country.
Then, after Narendra Modi’s statement on Independence Day that Indians are worried about the safety of the Hindu Community in Bangladesh, Yunus said that the protection, safety and security of Hindus and other minority religions are assured.