Much of the reporting on violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh was exaggerated, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus has said.
In his address to the nation on Sunday to mark 100 days of governance, Yunus said when his interim government assumed responsibility, Bangladesh was in a highly vulnerable state.
“At that time, attempts were made to spread unnecessary fear among religious minorities. In some cases, they even faced violence. However, much of the propaganda around these incidents was exaggerated.
“The few cases of violence that did occur were politically motivated but were falsely framed as religious conflicts to destabilize Bangladesh once again. With everyone’s support, we firmly handled the situation," the chief adviser said.
"Just two months into our tenure, Durga Puja was celebrated across nearly 32,000 puja mandaps in the country. Extensive security measures ensured that the Hindu community celebrated their festival without any hindrance," he continued.
Expressing gratitude to the people of the country, Yunus thanked everyone “for showing incredible patience during this challenging time.”
He also thanked political leaders for urging their members to remain calm and avoid acts of retaliation or violence.
"The fascist forces had threatened that if they gave up power, millions would die in the country. Despite the police administration remaining completely inactive for seven consecutive days, widespread violence was successfully averted."
