Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the grandson of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, has expressed concern that temples have been attacked, families threatened, and the right to worship freely has once again come under siege under the Yunus regime.
โDurga Puja is a time of devotion and celebration, a festival that embodies the triumph of good over evil. Yet this year, our Hindu brothers and sisters in Bangladesh are observing the puja under fear and uncertainty. Under the Yunus regime, the rise of extremism has brought back the dark shadows of religious persecution,โ he said in a post on X on Wednesday.
โThe very extremists who once opposed our Liberation are now emboldened, spreading terror against those who carry forward the spirit of 1971.
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โThroughout history, the Awami League has stood as the protector of Bangladeshโs minorities. It was the Awami League that rebuilt temples destroyed in 1971, that defended the rights of Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians to practice their faith, and that brought in stronger measures to prevent communal violence.โ
The son of Awami League President and five-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina added that secularism and equality have always been at the heart of our politics, because Bangladesh was born from the vision of unity, not division.
โToday, as our Hindu brothers and sisters light lamps and offer prayers to Maa Durga, we cannot ignore the darkness of fear that surrounds them. But we also know that this darkness will not last.โ
He added that the Awami League will once again return to power, and with it, the assurance that every Hindu, every minority, will celebrate their faith without fear, and live in this country with full dignity and freedom.
โMay Devi Durga bless Bangladesh with courage, unity, and the eternal victory of good over evil,โ Sajeeb Wazed said.
The Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad (BHBCOP), a human rights organisation against religious discrimination, has expressed deep sorrow and anger over the remarks made by Chief Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus, describing them as a โdenial of the truth.โ
In an interview with Zeteo News on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, Yunus called the allegations of torture against minorities โbaselessโ, even though communal attacks have been reported in at least 13 districts ahead of the Durga Puja.
In July, the BHBCOP reported a total of 2,442 incidents of violence against religious and ethnic minorities that occurred in 330 days, from August 4 to June 30.
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The highest number of incidents of violence took place from August 4 to August 20 of last year, with 2,100 attacks on houses, business establishments, and temples.
The report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Commission dated February 12, 2025, also mentions the ongoing persecution of minorities, including the Hindu community, from August 5, 2024, onwards. The attacks are continuing sporadically in different parts of the country.
Activists say that these acts not only spoil the joy of devotees but also severely undermine communal harmony. Behind these acts lies a calculated conspiracy by fundamentalist elements aiming to tarnish this religious festival. Unfortunately, the failure of the administration to take proactive measures and maintain proper security has emboldened the perpetrators. Despite repeated incidents, authorities have been unable to ensure adequate protection in advance, creating widespread frustration among the public.
The vandalism of Durga idols during Sharadiya Durga Puja is not merely a law-and-order issue; it is a planned assault on Bangladeshโs communal harmony and cultural heritage. It is therefore imperative that the administration take responsible action and ensure strict punishment for the fundamentalist perpetrators.
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