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Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus recently urged members of the Hindu community to see themselves as citizens of Bangladesh first, rather than as a religious minority, saying such an approach would foster inclusivity and unity.
“My message to them, when I meet community leaders, is don’t go back and say, ‘I’m a Hindu, so protect me. Always say, ‘I’m a citizen of this country. I’m entitled to all the protection the state is supposed to give me.’ Then you have broader coverage,” Yunus said during an interview with US journalist Mehdi Hasan last month.
The Bangladesh interim leader also noted that Hindus in Bangladesh should not feel “isolated” and should claim their rights as full citizens. “Always say, I am a citizen of this country. I’m entitled to all the protection the state is supposed to give me,” he insisted.
Furthermore, the Nobel laureate dismissed allegations of communal violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, calling them “fake news” allegedly spread by India. “One of the specialities of India right now is fake news....a barrage of fake news,” he alleged.
Yunus, during the interview, remarked that most reported incidents were local disputes over land or neighbourhood issues and should not be painted as communal clashes. He also rejected several international reports suggesting attacks on Hindus and temples following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government last year.
“I would say the government is very alert on that because this is one thing India is always pushing....bringing pressure,” he said.
When Hasan, however, pointed to documented cases of mob attacks and the arrest of a Hindu monk for hoisting a religious flag, Yunus doubled down, calling the reports part of a misinformation campaign.
The controversy comes more than a year after Hasina was ousted from power in August 2024 and fled to India. Yunus, appointed as Chief Advisor of the interim government, was tasked with reviving Bangladesh’s faltering economy and restoring global confidence.
His administration has, nevertheless, struggled to counter rising anti-India sentiment and the growing influence of Islamist factions at home.
Last November, nearly 30,000 Hindus marched through Dhaka demanding protection and justice over what they described as repeated attacks and harassment. Protesters also urged the government to drop sedition charges against Hindu leaders, including monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, whose arrest had sparked outrage in both Bangladesh and India.
Not just in Bangladesh and India. The Yunus administration has also been facing protests from Bangladeshi diaspora groups abroad.
Early this September, supporters of the exiled Hasina staged demonstrations outside the United Nations headquarters in New York, accusing Yunus of persecuting minorities and colluding with extremist elements.
Chanting slogans such as “Yunus is Pakistani, go back to Pakistan,” protesters had alleged that Hindus and other minorities had faced increasing threats since Hasina’s departure.
Meanwhile, the interim government has relaxed some restrictions on Islamist groups that were heavily suppressed under the deposed PM Hasina. Several hardline Islamists have been released from prison, and Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamist party with a controversial past, is now seeking a role in government.
Amid these mounting controversies, Yunus also positioned Bangladesh as a competitive manufacturing hub compared to India. Highlighting trade advantages, he said, “India faces much higher US tariffs than Bangladesh. Soon, Indian industries may leave and come to us to manufacture because it is so much cheaper.”
Yunus' remark comes as Dhaka struggles to revive the country’s sluggish economy and attract foreign investment amid strained relations with New Delhi following Hasina’s exit last August.
