Economist, who warned that there would be no Hindus left in Bangladesh if their exodus continued, arrested by Yunus regime: Details
The Muhammad Yunus regime has yet again targeted intellectuals living in Bangladesh. On Thursday (9th July) night, the police arrested renowned economist Abul Barkat from his residence in the Dhanmondi area of Dhaka.
The development was confirmed by Md Nasirul Islam, the Joint Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Detective Branch.
A case was registered against Abul Barkat in February this year by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of the Yunus regime. The renowned economist was made an accused in a case of embezzlement of funds worth Tk 297.34 crore.
ACC alleged that Abul Barkat, during his stint as the chairman of Janata Bank Ltd (2009-2014), granted loans to 22 companies of AnonTex Group through ‘forgery’ and ‘fraud’ in collusion with the ex-Governor of Bangladesh Bank.
It claimed that Barkat created false records to embezzle money, approved loans against non-existent buildings and factories and overvalued purchased land.
Abul Barkat is the former president of the Bangladesh Economic Association. He is an Economics Professor at the University of Dhaka.
The renowned economist has previously been bestowed with the ‘Order of the Rising Sun’ by the Japanese Government.
He has been a member of Transformation, Integration and Globalization Economic Research’s (TIGER) Scientific Research Advisory Board since 2021.
No Hindus will be left in Bangladesh after 30 years: Abul Barkat
In November 2016, Abul Barkat wrote a book titled, ‘Political economy of reforming agriculture-land-water bodies in Bangladesh.’
He warned that if the rate of exodus of the minority Hindu community continued, then there would not be any Hindus left after 30 years, i.e. 2046.
While speaking about the matter to Dhaka Tribune, “The rate of exodus over the past 49 years points to that direction.”
Abul Barkat highlighted that on average, 632 Hindus leave Bangladesh each day (~2,30,612 annually). He stated that 1.13 crore Hindus left Bangladesh between 1964 to 2013 due to discrimination and religious persecution.
He pointed that the exodus was at peak during the reign of military in Bangladesh, post independence in 1971.
During the book launch, it also came to light 60% of the Hindu population in Bangladesh were rendered landless by the government after their lands were classified as ‘enemy property’ before 1971 and ‘vested property’ after Independence.
Abul Barkat dedicated his book to his friends from childhood, who belonged to ‘Buno’ tribe, but have no trace now.
Muhammad Yunus tired to appease Islamic extremists
Bangladesh witnessed a drastic rise in Islamism after Yunus came to power. He first revoked the ban on the radical Islamist outfit ‘Jamaat-e-Islami.’
Thereafter, he released the leader of the radical outfit ‘Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT)’ Muhammad Jasimuddin Rahmani.
At the same time, Muhammad Yunus downplayed the targeted attacks on the Hindu community by violent Muslim mobs. He has gone on record from lamenting about attacks on Hindus to saying that the claims of atrocities are ‘exaggerated‘.
In that way, the controversial US asset was able to placate Islamic extremists. Given that Awami Legaue was against Islamism, the interim government first banned its student wing ‘Chhatra League,’ and then the parent party.
Under the watch of Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh saw a drastic rise in vigilante Muslim mobs, which unleashed violence under the pretext of protecting the tenets of Islam.
These mobs were largely unorganised and called themselves ‘Tawhidi Janata (meaning Revolutionary People).’ They came under the spotlight over acts of vandalism and harassment of people.
The Yunus regime introduced new textbooks for primary and secondary students, which falsely claimed that the first declaration of independence of Bangladesh was made by Ziaur Rehman (a favourite icon of Muslim hardliners in Bangladesh).
The interim government also appointed a Hizb ut-Tahrir terrorist named Mohammad Azaz as the administrator for the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).
The situation had become so grim that Bangladeshi ambassador to Morocco Mohammad Harun Al Rashid was forced to slam the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in a scathing Facebook post in March this year.
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