Bangladesh stir against Muhammad Yunus govt, not Hindus: Maulana Sajid Rashidi

All India Imam Association (AIIA) President Maulana Sajid Rashidi (Image: ANI)

• AIIA President says Bangladesh protests target government, not Hindus
• Rashidi condemns killings in Bangladesh, denies claims of genocide
• Another Hindu man was killed by a mob in Bangladesh over alleged extortion

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All India Imam Association (AIIA) President Maulana Sajid Rashidi has said that the agitation, protests and processions in Bangladesh are not against Hindus but against the Yunus government. He further added that the demonstrations in the neighbouring country are against unemployment and inflation.

"The agitation, protests and demonstrations happening there, those rallies and processions, are not against Hindus at all. Why do you want to turn that against Hindus? It is against the Yunus government. It is against unemployment and inflation... I absolutely stand by my remarks on Bangladesh. It is not genocide," he told ANI.

The AIIA President alleged that there had been killing of Muslims in India due to religious polarization.

"Those who call it genocide are doing an injustice to the Muslims of India. They are ignoring them. Either call this genocide, too, and then call that genocide, too... You will not call the killing of 50 people genocide but call the killing of 10-15 people genocide. I am raising the voice of my people and those with beards and caps are being caught and told to say “Vande Mataram”, and chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’,” he alleged.

Stating that Islam does not advocate killing innocent people, Rashidi condemned the killing taking place in some parts of Bangladesh.

“Islam does not advocate killing anyone. But those who are calling this genocide, where is the genocide, tell me? You are not ready to call what is happening in Gaza a genocide. 40,000 children were killed in Palestine, and 1,50,000 people were murdered, but you are not ready to call that a genocide. In Bangladesh, because there is the Yunus government, which is a weak government, they call it genocide,” he said.

A Hindu man was beaten to death by a mob in Bangladesh on Wednesday night over an extortion allegation, marking the second such killing in days after the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh district.

The Daily Star reported that the victim, Amrit Mondal, also known as Samrat, was attacked around 11 pm in Hosendanga village of Kalimohor union in Rajbari’s Pangsha upazila.