Hindus celebrated Durga Puja with fear in Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina’s son
Dhaka: Sajeeb Wazed, son of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has alleged that the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government has fueled a resurgence of extremism, reigniting religious persecution across the country.
He claimed that Hindu minorities are celebrating this year’s Durga Puja under a cloud of fear and uncertainty.
“Durga 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,” Former Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Advisor to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Wazed said.
The former Advisor noted that temples have been attacked, families subjected to intimidation and the right to worship freely has once again come under siege in the country.
He added that the same extremists who once opposed Bangladesh’s Liberation are now emboldened, spreading terror among those upholding the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War.
Emphasising that the Awami League has historically stood as the protector of Bangladesh’s minorities, Wazed highlighted that the party rebuilt temples destroyed in 1971, defended the rights of Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians to practice their faith, and brought in stronger measures to curb communal violence.
“Secularism and equality have always been at the heart of our politics, because Bangladesh was born from the vision of unity, not division. Today, 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,” Wazed stated.
Asserting that the Awami League will once again return to power in Bangladesh, Wazed assured that “every Hindu, every minority, will celebrate their faith without fear, and live in this country with full dignity and freedom.”