- Yunus urges the country’s politicians to keep differences aside.
- His administration accuses India of exaggerating the extent of the violence.
- His administration says New Delhi is running a “propaganda campaign.”
Dhaka: Bangladesh’s interim President Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday urged the country’s politicians to keep differences under control and form a united front to confront “Indian aggression”.
The Muslim-majority country saw a student-led uprising in August that ousted autocratic Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, ending her 15-year rule.
India – Hasina’s largest international sponsor and the destination of her exile – accused the Yunus administration of failing to protect the Hindu minority, which led to tense relations between the two neighbours.
“They are undermining our efforts to build a new Bangladesh and spreading fake stories,” Yunus told a gathering of political parties in Bangladesh.
“They spread these rumors in certain countries and among influential players.”
Yunus urged the politicians attending the meeting to unite against what he described as a disinformation campaign, describing the matter as “the issue of our existence.”
The caretaker government headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Yunus was tasked with enacting democratic reforms before new elections were held.
The chaos that followed Hasina’s ouster saw a series of retaliatory attacks against Hindus and other minorities, based in part on their apparent support for her government.
The Yunus administration acknowledged and condemned attacks on Hindus but said in many cases that they were politically, not religiously, motivated.
India was accused of exaggerating the scale of violence and running a “propaganda campaign.”
Younis’ media team said that Wednesday’s meeting was part of an initiative to strengthen national unity in the face of “Indian aggression.”
Yunus also met with student leaders on Tuesday evening
Numerous street demonstrations against India have been held in Bangladesh since Hasina’s ouster as diplomatic relations deteriorated.
Several marches were held on Wednesday in protest against an attempt by Hindu activists this week to storm the Bangladesh consulate in an Indian city not far from the shared border between the two neighbors.
India condemned the violation and arrested seven people in connection with the incident.