• By Kamal Kumar
  • Tue, 10 Dec 2024 10:03 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Bangladesh on Tuesday acknowledged 88 incidents of communal violence against minorities, mainly against Hindus, following the change in regime in August. Press secretary of the interim government Shafiqul Alam said that 70 people have been arrested in relation to these attacks.

He revealed this information a day after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri raised concerns about attacks on minorities, and conveyed India's apprehensions regarding their safety and well-being during discussions with the Bangladeshi leadership.

A total of 88 cases have been filed in incidents related to minorities from August 5 to October 22, Alam told reporters.

"The number of cases and arrests is likely to increase as new incidents of violence have also been reported in (northeastern Sunamganj, (central) Gazipur, and other areas," he said.

He added that there might be cases where some victims were members of the previous ruling party. The government has so far insisted that other than a few incidents, Hindus were not attacked because of their faiths.

"Some attacks targeted individuals who were former members of the ruling party or they were the result of personal disputes. Nevertheless, since violence occurred, the police are taking appropriate action," he said.

Alam said that details regarding the incidents that took place after October 22 will be shared soon. 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.

(With PTI Inputs)