Hundreds of protesters belonging to the Awami League and its allied organisations held rallies outside Blair House in Washington, DC, protesting vehemently against Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. Protesters held slogans calling for his resignation, shouting again and again, “Step down, step down! Killer Yunus, killer Yunus.”
#WATCH | People, under the aegis of ‘Awami League and its sister organizations’ raise slogans against Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus outside Blair House in Washington, DC (US). PM Modi is staying at the Blair House.
Slogans of “Step down, step down! Killer Yunus,… pic.twitter.com/NLuFSXF9Ov
— ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2025
The protests reflected ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had resigned. The demonstrations also highlighted cases of religious minority violence in the nation. In a report by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, mass violence broke out in mid-2024 when protests by students over employment quotas compelled Hasina to resign and flee to India. The violence was said to have resulted in targeted attacks on Hindus and other minorities, with mobs burning down houses and places of worship.
Hindus, who make up about 8% of Bangladesh’s 170 million population, were heavily impacted by the violence. Reports by news agency AP quote the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council as recording 2,010 cases of communal violence in the period August 4 to 20 last year. They comprised attacks on 69 temples, acts of arson and vandalism, and physical attacks, leaving casualties and injuries.
The crisis has also raised increased concerns regarding religious and ethnic persecution in Bangladesh. Washington protesters condemned the increasing violence and accused Yunus of not being able to safeguard minority communities. The Bangladeshi government, on the other hand, remains silent regarding the international condemnation and intervention calls. With tensions still high, international focus continues to be on the nation’s response to political and communal disturbances.
