Bangladesh Confirms 88 Incidents Of Communal Violence Against Minorities Amid India's Concerns

Bangladesh confirmed on Tuesday that there have been 88 incidents of communal violence targeting minorities, primarily Hindus, following the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August, as reported by news agency PTI.

Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to the interim government head Muhammad Yunus, also stated that 70 people have been arrested in connection with these violent incidents.

This revelation came a day after India's Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri, raised concerns about the safety and well-being of minorities during his meetings with Bangladeshi officials.

Alam informed reporters that between August 5 and October 22, 88 cases had been filed concerning incidents involving minorities. "The number of cases and arrests is likely to increase as new incidents of violence have also been reported in northeastern Sunamganj, central Gazipur, and other areas," Alam said, as quoted by PTI.

He also noted that some victims may have been former members of the previous ruling party, asserting that the government had maintained that, apart from a few isolated incidents, Hindus were not specifically targeted because of their religion.

"Some attacks targeted individuals who were former members of the ruling party or stemmed from personal disputes. Nevertheless, since violence occurred, the police are taking appropriate action," Alam added.

He also stated that further details regarding incidents that occurred after October 22 would be released soon.

Recent weeks have seen a rise in violence against Hindus and other minorities, as well as attacks on temples in Bangladesh, raising serious concerns in New Delhi.

Misri arrived in Dhaka on Monday for annual foreign office consultations with his counterpart Mohammad Jashim Uddin, amid unprecedented strain in bilateral relations due to the targeting of Bangladesh's Hindu minority and the arrest of monk Chinmoy Krishna Das.

Misri, the first senior Indian official to visit Dhaka since the change of government in August, also met with de facto Foreign Minister Touhid Hossain and caretaker government chief Muhammad Yunus.