Facing flak over attacks on minorities, Bangladesh’s Yunus greets Hindus on Saraswati Puja

Bangladesh belongs to all of its citizens and is a safe place for all people regardless of religion or caste, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said, as he greeted members of the Hindu community on Saraswati Puja.

Hindus in Bangladesh celebrated Saraswati Puja on Monday amid traditional enthusiasm, festivity and religious fervour.

In a message on Sunday, Yunus said Bangladesh is an abode of communal harmony.

“For thousands of years, people of all religions have been living together in this country irrespective of caste, colour and religion," he said.

“The country belongs to all of us and is a safe place for all people regardless of religion or caste,” he added.

Yunus took over as the country’s interim leader after a student-led uprising last year forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India on August 5, ending her 15-year rule.

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The interim government “has been relentlessly working to improve the fate of all irrespective of race, religion, and caste and ensure their equal rights,” Yunus said.

The goddess Saraswati is a symbol of truth, justice, and the light of knowledge, he said.

“She is the omnipotent of knowledge, speech and melody,” Yunus said.

He called on all Hindus in Bangladesh to devote themselves to the development and progress of the country by becoming a devotee of knowledge.

He wished peace, welfare, and prosperity for all citizens of the country.

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His greetings to the Hindu community come amid allegations against the country’s interim government for failing to protect religious and ethnic minorities from attacks and harassment.

There have been a spate of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, as well as attacks on temples in Bangladesh after the ouster of Hasina, triggering strong concerns in New Delhi.