Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, has strongly criticized the arrest of a Hindu monk in the country, calling it unjust. She demanded his immediate release, highlighting the broader issues of religious violence, and the deterioration of law and order under the current interim government. “A prominent leader of the Sanatan religious community has been wrongfully arrested and must be freed at once,” Hasina said. She also condemned the recent destruction of a temple in Chittagong and the history of attacks on various religious groups, including the Ahmadiyya community, whose mosques and properties have been vandalized and burned.
Hasina expressed grave concerns about the failures of the interim government, which, according to her, has mishandled the economy, public security, and daily essentials, thereby causing widespread suffering. “These power grabbers have failed to control inflation, protect people’s lives, or maintain law and order. The people of the country are being tortured both directly and indirectly,” she stated.
In response to recent violence in Chittagong that resulted in the death of a lawyer during protests over the monk’s arrest, Hasina condemned the murder, calling it a terrorist act. “The perpetrators of this crime must be quickly identified and punished,” she demanded, adding that the incident violated human rights in the most blatant way.
Hasina held the current government responsible for the growing crisis, including the rise in political violence, and warned that if those responsible for the lawyer’s death are not punished, the government itself would be held accountable for human rights violations. She urged the people of Bangladesh to unite against terrorism and militancy to ensure the safety of all citizens. “The failure of the Yunus government to address these issues will only deepen the crisis in the country,” Hasina concluded.