Scores of people under the aegis of ‘Awami League and its sister organisations’ staged protests and raised slogans against Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus outside Blair House in Washington, DC.
The demonstrators raised slogans against Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, chanting, “Step down, step down! Killer Yunus, killer Yunus.”
Violence against Hindus, minorities
As a result of the protests, minorities in Bangladesh have faced several cases of violence. A United Nations report on the mid-2024 violence in Bangladesh—when student protests over job quotas forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India—has highlighted attacks on Hindus and other minorities.
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said mobs burned homes and targeted places of worship. Hindus make up around 8% of Bangladesh’s 170 million population.
News agency AP reported that Hindus, who constitute a significant minority in Bangladesh, have faced numerous attacks. Between August 4 and 20 last year, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council reported 2,010 incidents of communal violence, including attacks on 69 temples. These incidents involved vandalism, arson, and physical assaults, resulting in deaths and injuries.