POBNEWS24, Dhaka Dec 21, 2024 : The Press Wing of Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser said that the claim made in reports by Indian media outlets that there were 2,200 incidents of violence against Hindus in 2024 is misleading and exaggerated.
Several Indian media outlets, including India Today and Anandabazar, quoted the country’s Ministry of External Affairs on Friday as saying that there were 47 incidents of violence against Hindus in Bangladesh in 2022, 302 in 2023 and 2,200 in 2024.
In a statement posted on the Press Wing’s verified Facebook page CA Press Wing Facts on Saturday, it said, “These statistics are misleading and exaggerated.”
According to human rights organization Ain O Salish Kendra, there were 138 violent incidents against religious minorities in Bangladesh between January and November 2024. Of these, 368 were attacks on homes. 82 people were injured.
The statement added that Bangladesh’s interim government is investigating every incident reported and is committed to bringing perpetrators to justice.
According to the police headquarters, at least 97 cases have been filed between August 4 and December 10 and 75 people have been arrested since August for attacks on religious minorities.
The statement said, “Many of these incidents occurred between August 5 and August 8, when there was no government in the country. Most of these attacks were political.”
The government has urged everyone to refrain from spreading misleading information about such heinous crimes.
Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has strongly condemned and protested the recent communal incidents of brutal murder of Tarun Chandra Das, who was in charge of the care and security of Kashimpur Mahashrut Temple in Natore district of Bangladesh, robbery and looting of the temple, and attacks on Radha Gobinda Temple in Shakhoa Union of Bandherpara, Haluaghat, Mymensingh, and Palashkanda Kali Temple in Bilaspur, a temple in Dinajpur, and vandalism of idols. In a statement, the central committee of the council demanded the immediate arrest of the miscreants responsible for these incidents. The statement said that communal incidents are tarnishing the image of Bangladesh in the outside world, which requires the attention of the Yunus government to stop.
