Overview

• In a televised exchange with journalist Mehdi Hasan, interim leader Muhammad Yunus rejected claims of increased anti-Hindu violence since August 2024.
• Yunus characterized cited incidents as routine neighbor disputes rather than religious persecution and said his government is very alert to communal tensions.
• He alleged India fuels a barrage of fake news on Bangladesh and urged Hindus to assert their rights as citizens entitled to state protection.
• The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad condemned his remarks as a denial of the truth and said it raised concerns with him in August.
• The group referenced a February 2025 UN fact-finding report noting sporadic attacks and accused Yunus of backtracking after earlier acknowledging persecution, as reported by Prothom Alo and NPR.