Hindu minorities in Bangladesh are reportedly celebrating Durga Puja under a cloud of fear and uncertainty, according to Sajeeb Wazed, son of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He blamed the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government for a resurgence of extremism and religious persecution in the country.

“Durga Puja is a festival that embodies the triumph of good over evil. Yet this year, our Hindu brothers and sisters are observing the puja amid fear. Under the Yunus regime, the rise of extremism has revived the dark shadows of religious persecution,” Wazed, former ICT Advisor to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, said.

Wazed highlighted that temples have been attacked, families intimidated, and the freedom to worship has been threatened. He added that the extremists who once opposed Bangladesh’s Liberation War of 1971 are now emboldened, spreading terror among those who uphold the spirit of independence.

Emphasizing the Awami League’s role in protecting minorities, Wazed noted that the party rebuilt temples destroyed in 1971, defended the rights of Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians, and implemented measures to curb communal violence. “Secularism and equality have always been at the heart of our politics, because Bangladesh was born from the vision of unity, not division,” he said.

Wazed asserted that the Awami League will return to power, promising that “every Hindu, every minority, will celebrate their faith without fear, and live in this country with full dignity and freedom.”

Despite the celebrations, he urged attention to the ongoing threats faced by Hindu communities, stressing that the current darkness of fear “will not last.”