Hindus in Bangladesh want five-day holiday for Durga Puja

In an open letter addressed to Prof. Muhammad Yunus, chief advisor to the interim government of Bangladesh, Nirmal Rosario, president of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad, has detailed 205 incidents of persecution of minorities across 52 districts since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on 5 August. The letter apparently does not mention any loss of life.

“We have preliminary information that at least 205 incidents of minority persecution have occurred in 52 districts to date,” Rosario said on Saturday at Dhaka's Shahbag, where minority communities had gathered for the second consecutive day to demand security and an end to persecution.

“We stay up all night guarding our homes and temples. I have never witnessed such events in my life. We demand that the administration restore communal harmony in the country,” Rosario told the media while releasing the letter. Demonstrators belonging to minority communities blocked the road condemning the recent wave of vandalism, arson, and looting targeting Hindu properties.

There was a rally by minority communities on Friday at the same venue, where Hindu community leaders called for increased representation at the policy-making level, and the establishment of a ministry dedicated to minority affairs. They also demanded the creation of a minority protection commission and strict laws to prevent violence against minorities. A key demand was the allocation of 10 per cent of parliamentary seats to minority groups.

In its eight-point charter of demands, the organisation urged the interim government to establish a tribunal to prosecute perpetrators of violence against minorities, create a ministry of minority affairs, and enact a Minority Protection Act. They also called for upgrading the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust to a Hindu Foundation, alongside similar upgrades for Buddhist and Christian trusts.

Additionally, they sought the enactment of laws to recover and preserve debottar (dedicated for Hindu religious or charitable purposes) property, proper implementation of the Vested Property Restitution Act, setting aside space for worship in educational institutions, and modernisation of Sanskrit and Pali Education Boards. They also demanded a five-day holiday for Durga Puja.

Partha Kumar Nath was quoted by Dhaka Tribune as saying, "We are citizens of this country, living here with our families and coexisting peacefully with everyone. So why are we being attacked? Didn’t our Hindu brothers fight in 1971? Didn’t they die in the anti-discrimination student movement? Then why are we being targeted and tortured now?"

The newspaper also quoted one Nikhil Chakraborty who criticised the media saying, "When Hindus are attacked, the media remains silent. Look at the large crowd gathered at Shahbag today — I haven’t seen any television coverage yet.”

Meanwhile, not just Yunus but all political parties in Bangladesh have condemned violence against minorities. Jamaat leaders visited temples to express solidarity and shared phone numbers which members of minority communities can call in case of emergencies.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) issued a statement and claimed that it had expelled 45 people from the party following allegations that they were involved in violence against minorities. Students and Muslim neighbours across Bangladesh are reported to be guarding minority homes, places of worship and institutions.

Addressing students at Begum Rokeya University in Rangpur, Prof Yunus asked, "You have been able to save the country. Can't you save some families?" He urged students to protect all Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist families from harm.