DHAKA: Bangladesh on Tuesday acknowledged 88 incidents of communal violence against minorities, primarily Hindus, following the ouster of then-premier Sheikh Hasina in August. Interim government head Muhammad Yunus' press secretary Shafiqul Alam also said that 70 people have been arrested in those incidents.


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He made the disclosure a day after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri flagged regrettable incidents of attacks on minorities and conveyed India's concerns, including those related to the safety and welfare of minorities, during his meetings with the Bangladeshi leadership. A total of 88 cases have been filed in incidents related to minorities from August 5 to October 22, Alam told reporters.


"The number of cases and arrests is likely to increase as new incidents of violence have also been reported in (northeastern Sunamganj, (central) Gazipur, and other areas," he said. He added that there might be cases where some victims were members of the previous ruling party.


The government has so far insisted that other than a few incidents, Hindus were not attacked because of their faiths. "Some attacks targeted individuals who were former members of the ruling party or they were the result of personal disputes. Nevertheless, since violence occurred, the police are taking appropriate action," he said.


Alam said that details regarding the incidents that took place after October 22 will be shared soon. There have been a spate of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities, as well as attacks on temples in Bangladesh in the last few weeks that triggered strong concerns in New Delhi.