‘Attacks’ on Hindus in Bangladesh, Modi’s concern

India Prime Minister of Narendra Modi by Bangladesh Expressed concern over the unrest, attacks on Hindus and other minorities.

According to the Associated Press, on Thursday, Modi was the 78th President of India freedom day On the occasion of New Delhi addressed the nation from the Mughal-era Red Fort and assured Bangladesh that India would continue to support it in economic development.

In his nearly 90-minute speech, Prime Minister Modi did not mention India’s strained relations with neighbors Pakistan and China or any measures to improve relations with them.

“We hope that the situation there (in Bangladesh) will return to normal soon,” Modi said in a live broadcast speech.

Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India on August 5 after weeks of violent protests.

She is likely to stay in New Delhi until she decides where she will seek asylum.

Meanwhile, a transitional government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has taken power in Bangladesh and new elections are expected to be held.

Hindu homes, shops and businesses were attacked during protests in Bangladesh, after Muhammad Yunus met with leaders of the Hindu community earlier this week and assured them of their protection.

In this Aug. 15, 2024 photo, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspects the Independence Day parade in New Delhi (AFP).

Student-led protests began in July against a quota system for government jobs that critics said benefited people from Sheikh Hasina’s party.

The protest turned into a movement against his government, resulting in the death of over 300 people, including students and police officers.

August 15, 1947 marks India’s independence from Britain, but on the same day in 1975, Bangladesh’s first leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Sheikh Hasina’s father, was assassinated in a military coup.

Sheikh Hasina survived her absence from the country after which India granted her asylum and she lived in Delhi from 1975 until her return to Bangladesh in 1981.

Modi on Thursday said that India believes in peace and not war and is on the path of rapid economic growth.

He added that it wants to become a developed country by 2047 when it completes 100 years of independence from Britain.

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Addressing the ceremony wearing an orange, yellow and black striped turban, Modi said the government would focus on driving the country’s growth in the next five years through skill development, employment generation and promotion of small businesses.

Modi has been elected Prime Minister of India for a third five-year term in the recent general elections. His Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party failed to win a majority in the 543-member lower house of parliament, but formed a government with the help of its allies.

His government’s budget tabled in Parliament last month said inflation was stable and moving towards the government’s target of four percent, while the economy grew at 8.2 percent last fiscal year.

Modi on Thursday also called for a non-discriminatory uniform civil code that would regulate marriage and other aspects of life for all citizens, regardless of religion.

Of India’s 1.4 billion population, Hindus make up about 80 percent and Muslims 14 percent. They have separate laws regarding marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption and sponsorship.