Amid the ongoing violence against the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh, a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reaffirmed his opposition to any racially motivated attacks or incitement to violence.
“What we've made clear is we want to make sure that the violence that has been occurring in Bangladesh in recent weeks is tamped down. Certainly, we stand against any racially based attacks or racially based incitement to violence,” stated Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, on Thursday.
His remarks were in response to a query regarding the Secretary-General’s stance on the recent attacks against Hindus and other minority groups in Bangladesh.
In recent days, several Hindu temples, homes, and businesses have been damaged, and at least two Hindu leaders connected to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party have lost their lives since Monday, when Hasina stepped down and fled to India.
Following Hasina’s departure, reports from Bangladesh have highlighted an increasing number of violent incidents against minorities, including the extensive damage to the residence of Rahul Ananda, the lead singer of the popular folk band Joler Gaan, on Monday. This incident forced the singer and his family to go into hiding.
However, Hindus are not the only targets of this unrest. Since the fall of Hasina's government on Monday, at least 232 people have been killed in violent incidents across Bangladesh, raising the death toll to 560 since the anti-quota protests began in mid-July.
Regarding Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus being sworn in as the head of the interim government, Haq noted the UN’s aspiration “for an inclusive process of forming a government" and added, "We continue to hold that hope. And, of course, any sign of lessening of violence and greater restraint amongst the public is a good thing.”
When asked if Secretary-General Guterres had personally congratulated Yunus or communicated with him, Haq mentioned that while Guterres had not spoken to Yunus, UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Gwyn Lewis was present at the swearing-in ceremony.
“Certainly, she and the country team have been active in encouraging the process of making sure that the transition on the ground is peaceful,” Haq added.
In response to calls for the UN to participate in an investigation into the recent killings in Bangladesh, Haq stated that the UN would assess any formal request it receives from the newly formed government.
"We, of course, stand ready to support the Government and people of Bangladesh in any way that they deem is necessary,” he said.
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