Hundreds of Hindu houses, businesses, and temples have been vandalized following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, according to a Reuters report.
India has voiced concerns about the incident, with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar saying that “what was particularly worrying was that minorities, their businesses, and temples also came under attack at multiple locations.”
India has evacuated all non-essential staff and their families from its embassy and consulates in Bangladesh, two Indian government sources told Reuters.
All Indian diplomats remain in Bangladesh and the missions are functional, the report said. Besides the high commission or embassy in the capital Dhaka, India has assistant high commissions or consulates in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet.
Amid the political unrest, an Air India flight from Dhaka carrying 199 passengers and six infants landed in Delhi early on Wednesday morning, ANI reported.
According to sources quoted by ANI, Air India operated the special charter flight at short notice despite infrastructure challenges at Dhaka Airport late last night.
Hindus constitute about 8% of Bangladesh’s 170 million people and have historically largely supported Hasina’s Awami League party, which identifies as largely secular, instead of the opposition bloc that includes a hardline Islamist party.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) said 200-300 mainly Hindu homes and businesses had been vandalised since Monday, and 15-20 Hindu temples damaged. Up to 40 people have been injured though not seriously, its general secretary, Rana Dasgupta, told Reuters.
“The communal atrocities erupted hours before she resigned,” he said. “Although there is no killing, there is injury. Houses and businesses of minorities, especially Hindus, as well as temples, have been targeted, looted, damaged.”
Dasgupta said some people he could not identify had thrown a brick at his car when he was out on the road on Monday in the southeastern district of Chattogram.
“I stand against communal atrocities and will not stop,” he said. “Until my death, I shall fight for them. I may not be able to physically protect them, but I can give them courage. I may not be able to resist attacks, but I can protest.
“The situation is horrific,” said Manindra Kumar Nath, a Hindu community leader. “Even today, we are getting calls from people asking us to save their lives, but we are not receiving any support from anywhere.”
The military’s media office said security forces were helping maintain law and order across the South Asian nation, without specifying any incidents.
“Everyone’s cooperation is highly desired in this regard,” it said in a statement.
Students who led the protests against Hasina that have killed nearly 300 people since July have repeatedly urged people not to target minority communities in the overwhelmingly Muslim country. But Hindu community leaders said they were feeling vulnerable because of the lack of a functioning government.
(With input from agencies)