Bangladesh | New government seeks to end attacks on religious minorities

(Dhaka) Bangladesh’s interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus pledged Sunday to end attacks on religious minorities, while a new chief justice was sworn in following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

After her escape abroad on Monday, ending 15 years of autocratic rule, there have been widespread reports of violence against Hindu homes, temples and businesses. The Hindu community, the largest religious minority in the South Asian country of 170 million people, is seen as a staunch supporter of the Awami League, Ms.^me Hasina.

“Attacks on religious minorities in some places have been noted with grave concern,” the interim government formed on Thursday to lead democratic reforms in Bangladesh said in its first official statement.

Many priorities

He added that its members, each of whom has the title of “advisor,” would meet to “find ways to put an end to these heinous attacks.”

The text released on Sunday lists many other urgent priorities.

The government has ordered “support” to be provided to the families of protesters killed during weeks of protests that led to the prime minister’s resignation.

In addition, public funds will have to be allocated to pay for the care of those injured during the unrest that began in early July and left more than 450 dead.

The government also promised to reopen the metro in the capital Dhaka by the end of the week.

Purge in institutions

He also announced that he would soon appoint a new governor of the central bank, replacing the one loyal to Mr.^me Hasina.

Earlier in the day, a new chief justice, Syed Refaat Ahmed, was sworn in after the resignation of his predecessor, another ally of the ousted prime minister.

The latter, Obaidul Hassan, had left his functions on Saturday, considering that it was “no longer possible” for him to exercise them, after an ultimatum from demonstrators, some of whom had gathered in front of the building housing this jurisdiction.

The police chief was also ousted.

“The law of the crowd”

On Thursday, economist Muhammad Yunus, 84, succeeded Sheikh Hasina, 76, who fled by helicopter to India.

The protests in Bangladesh were sparked by the reintroduction of a scheme reserving nearly a third of civil service jobs for descendants of veterans of the independence war.

The former government had been accused by human rights organisations of using institutions to consolidate its hold and eradicate all dissent.

M’s son^me Hasina, for her part, warned of possible “chaos” if elections were not quickly organised, in an interview with AFP.

“Right now in Bangladesh, it’s mob rule,” said Sajeeb Wazed Joy, 53, a former adviser to his mother, from Washington, where he lives, describing the interim government as “powerless.”