Yunus Govt in Bangladesh Terms Reports of Attacks on Minorities as 'Propaganda'

Amid reports of rising violence against minorities, particularly Hindus, ahead of Bangladesh’s February 12 national elections, the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government on Sunday sought to dismiss such accounts, describing them as misinformation aimed at undermining communal harmony.

Responding to media coverage that has highlighted incidents, including killings, Chief Adviser Yunus’s senior assistant press secretary, Foyez Ahammad, said statements based on “false or fabricated information” could mislead the public and pose a threat to communal peace. His remarks came two days after India criticised attempts to downplay the communal nature of such crimes by attributing them to personal disputes or political rivalries, warning that such narratives risk emboldening perpetrators.

The interim administration has consistently rejected reports linking recent incidents to communal violence, characterising them as propaganda. Referring specifically to the killing of businessman Moni Chakraborty in Narsingdi, Foyez said the case was being portrayed as a communal attack despite initial findings suggesting otherwise.

“Although the murder was promoted as a communal incident, it was initially linked to a family dispute and business rivalry,” he said, adding that preliminary assessments by police and statements from the victim’s family indicated no communal motive.

Moni Chakraborty was hacked to death last Monday, only hours after Hindu journalist Rana Pratap was shot dead in Jessore. Foyez alleged that misleading narratives about Chakraborty’s killing had circulated widely, including on social media, portraying it as a communal attack without substantiated evidence.

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