Md Yunus of Bangladesh confirms OpIndia report of Hindu houses burned by Islamists, but uses twisted logic of Leftist media to claim ‘it was not communal’: Read why his claims are false
Bangladesh has been engulfed in communal violence aimed at the minority community, particularly Hindus, since the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from office on 5th August last year. The ruling political forces of Bangladesh have been tacitly supporting the Muslim mobs while shamelessly denying the incidents and even blaming New Delhi and the Indian media of spreading propaganda.
On 22nd May, another violent act was perpetrated against the marginalized community when a Muslim crowd executed arson attacks on Hindu residences in Dahar Mashihati village, located in the Abhaynagar upazila of Jessore district in Bangladesh. Predictably, the regime of Muhammad Yunus jumped to downplay the communal nature of the crime.
Yunus defiantly denies charges of anti-Hindu violence
The official account of Yunus, Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh stated multiple Indian media outlets and social media accounts have covered the alleged systematic torture and communal violence in Bangladesh’s Jashore area. It attributed the killing of Tariqul Islam, a leader of the farmers wing Krishak Dal, of the Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP), to the anti-Hindu riots.
It added, “But according to BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) reports, Tariqul Islam was shot and hacked to death by some local Hindu villagers in Abhaynagar Upazila after a dispute over a fish enclosure in Dahar Masiahati village. Locals told BBC that tensions escalated due to the disagreement between Tariqul and Hindu community members. In retaliation to the murder, angry villagers vandalized approximately 20 homes and shops owned by Hindus in the area.”
Notice the text here, so desperate is Yunus to blame Hindus that when he mentions the murder of local politician Tariqul Islam, he specifies ‘Hindu villagers’. But when the houses of an entire Hindu community in the village are burned down by Muslims, the perpetrators become ‘angry villagers’ retaliating.
Yunus quoted the notorious media outlet BBC, which has a history of trivialising anti-Hindu violence. Referring to the instance as “deeply regrettable,” he asserted that it was motivated by anger and revenge due to the violent murder committed by some Hindu villagers, rather than a result of deliberate communal animosity. “Abhaynagar Police Officer-in-Charge Abdul Alim described the incident as a ‘business dispute’ unrelated to religious or political factors,” he remarked.
It is noteworthy that he acknowledged the specific targeting of Hindus by Muslims, however, he attempted to portray the communal violence as a “retaliation.” He charged, “Despite these facts, some Indian media and social media users, especially on X, have framed the violence as targeted persecution of minorities in Bangladesh.”
Yunus blames OpIndia, others for covering the brutal burning of Hindu houses, tries to claim it was ‘not communal violence’
Yunus subsequently criticized OpIndia for merely presenting the facts. “OpIndia published an article titled ‘Muslim mob sets Hindu homes on fire after death of local politician, lawlessness continues under the watch of Muhammad Yunus,’ claiming systematic repression against Hindus and referencing the arrest of journalist Munni Shaha as evidence,” he accused.
Interestingly, he did not refute the contents of the report, instead, he condemned it for highlighting the anti-Hindu attacks in Bangladesh, as it exposed the shortcomings of his government. He then called out to others who reported on the occurrence.
“Similarly, the X account ‘Voice of Bangladeshi Hindus’ alleged Islamist mobs attacked Hindus in Moshiyahati village, Jessore, on the night of 22nd May,” Yunus wrote and added, “Hindu Post also portrayed the event as radical Islamist violence.” He additionally shared archived links of the reports and tweet.
“Independent fact-checks by BBC, DW, and other media outlets have found such communal violence claims in Bangladesh often exaggerated or false. Reports emphasize that Bangladesh’s communal harmony remains robust despite political tensions,” Yunus stated and then ended the statement with a hilarious, “Boost post.”
What did OpIndia report
OpIndia reported on the incident that had already been carried by the Bangladeshi daily “Prothom Alo.” It clearly mentioned that the incident transpired shortly after the murder of Tariqul Islam, a 50-year-old leader of the Krishak Dal, which stemmed from a dispute over the ownership of a fish enclosure. Islam was both shot and hacked to death.
More than 20 Hindu homes in the village of Dahar Mashihati were then set on fire by a group of Muslim radicals. They burned 2 stores and vandalized 4 others. The targeted attacks resulted in over 10 injuries. A land piece whose lease had expired was the subject of an ongoing dispute between Tariqul Islam and a man named Piltu Biswas. They both wanted the plot. The leader of the Krishak Dal planned to construct an enclosure and farm fish. A Muslim mob ambushed Hindu homes in the village after his murder and burned their homes and businesses.
A journalist from Prothom Alo discovered that every Hindu home and its possessions had been reduced to ashes when he visited the village of Dahar Mashihati. Six vehicles, five bikes and one van, were destroyed in the arson attack, according to the journalist. He added that out of concern for their safety, every male in the houses had left the area as their women stayed behind. The Matua community comprised the majority of the victims.
One survivor informed Prothom Alo that their home was initially attacked by a group of four to five fanatics. Afterwards, more than 150 individuals joined the assailants. According to the victim, they set their homes on fire, stole everything and damaged the property. 25-year-old Sagar Biswas was also kidnapped by the Muslims but was later rescued. It took two hours of the carnage before the police, army officers and fire department personnel arrived.
OpIndia clearly cited the report published by Prothom Alo and simply conveyed what transpired during the incident. In addition, OpIndia also noted other similar events where Hindus have been targeted by Muslim radicals in the country in the past several months. Nevertheless, Yunus, rather than confronting the facts that he was aware were true, opted once more to minimize the regular attacks on Hindus by extremists under his government, as he attempted to shield them instead of addressing the sensitive issue.
Leftist media and its tendency to protect Islamists: How anti-Hindu violence is whitewashed in Bangladesh
Yunus intentionally mentioned Leftist media sources like BBC and DW, as he is cognizant of their inclination to protect Islamists and underplay their heinous acts, especially towards the Hindus. They have consistently been whitewashing similar incidents since the onset of bloodshed and violence against the dwindling Hindu community in Bangladesh.
The left uses a variety of strategies and instruments in their standard propaganda to gloss over the crimes of Islamists. The first is outward denial, which involves censoring and suppressing any information that contradicts their carefully constructed narrative in which Muslims must be the only victims. However, this hasn’t been effective as everyone now has the ability to create and share content owing to the internet, particularly social media.
The methods of dilution have become crucial since denial has proved difficult. Ironically, the “fact-check” tool has been the most crucial. As facts began to surface, “fact-checkers” came into existence. This requires the propagandists to locate or even plot a few claims or bits of information that can be deemed fictitious or untrue. This sows doubts in people’s minds, leading them to believe that the matter is a hoax. This is precisely what motivates certain types of “fact-checkers.”
Their another favored strategy for minimizing the gravity of such occurrences is to hide behind the ludicrous claim, “It was political, not religious,” even though all evidence suggests otherwise. When denial of atrocities and dilutions through fact-checks and verbose whitewashing do not seem to be effective, this narrative has been used in the case of the ongoing massacre of Hindus in Bangladesh.
Downplaying anti-Hindu violence
Mughal emperor Aurangzeb has been portrayed as a just ruler using this argument by ‘scholars’ such as Audrey Truschke who have authored theses to demonstrate that the destruction of temples under his rule was a political statement rather than an overt act of religious intolerance. Likewise, the Pakistan-sponsored jihad in Jammu and Kashmir is described as a political problem.
The genocide of Kashmiri Hindus is represented as a political issue instead of a stark manifestation of religious hatred. It is important to note that both Pakistan and the terrorists have declared that this is a religious war and they aim to establish Islamic rule in the valley, however, the Left-liberal media persists in spreading their falsehoods.
Similarly, Bangladesh, where Hindus have been subjected to continuous assaults and torture by Muslims, is no exception for media outlets like BBC, Scroll and others. They utilize the same strategies to protect their preferred demographic and refuse to accept the true root of the problem to serve their agenda. Their main focus is to create a misleading narrative rather than simply reporting facts.
The same has unfolded in the Dahar Mashihati hamlet of Bangladesh while Yunus is leveraging their media allies to negate the communal nature of the crime, a strategy he and his government have employed for numerous months as Hindus continue to endure suffering in his administration.
The sword of resignation on Yunus
On one hand, Yunus is occupied with downplaying anti-Hindu violence while on the other hand, there are reports of his potential resignation in the upcoming days. He is currently in a tight spot due to the mounting dissatisfaction with the interim government in all spheres of society. His sinister desire to remain the de facto leader of Bangladesh has come to light as a result of his inability to hold a “free and fair” election to date.
Yunus told the media through his sources that he is upset about “recent developments” and want to resign in a final effort to save his reputation. He is also playing the blame game, inciting public panic and even threatening resignation in a desperate attempt to hold onto his position. Yunus also tried to incite anti-Indian sentiment in the nation to divert attention from his incapacity and his failure to bring democracy and electoral reforms back to Bangladesh.
“The chief adviser stated that the country is in a major crisis due to Indian hegemony. He believes that the entire nation needs to remain united in response. He started the discussion by saying that we are in a deep crisis. By crisis, he meant the conspiracy of Indian hegemony,” Mahmudur Rahman Manna, one of his aides alleged.
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