Dhaka/Kolkata, Dec 9: Bangladesh’s deposed premier Sheikh Hasina has launched a fierce attack on the interim administration, accusing its Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus of running a “fascist regime” that allows terrorists and fundamentalists to act without restraint.
In a virtual address to a gathering of overseas Awami League supporters in London on Sunday, Hasina accused Yunus of being the “mastermind” behind the July-August turmoil that ousted her government and vowed to bring him and his allies to justice under Bangladeshi law. She criticized Yunus and his interim government for their alleged persecution of religious minorities in Bangladesh.
“Since August 5, the attacks on minorities, places of worship of Hindus, Christians and Buddhists have been rampant. We condemn it. The Jamaat and terrorists are having a free run under the new regime,” she said.
The audio recording of Hasina’s address was shared on the Facebook page of the Bangladesh Students’ League and Bangladesh Awami League.
Her remarks came ahead of Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s visit to Dhaka Monday where he raised India’s concerns over the safety of minorities, flagging “regrettable incidents of attacks on cultural, religious and diplomatic properties” in the country. There have been a spate of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities, as well as attacks on temples in Bangladesh in the last few weeks that triggered strong concerns in New Delhi. (PTI)