‘Burning Minorities To Death’: Sheikh Hasina Slams Yunus Govt Amid Bangladesh Unrest

Last Updated:December 25, 2025, 23:39 IST

Sheikh Hasina's remarks came after violent protests erupted in Dhaka over the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent student leader.

Sheikh Hasina said mobs have overpowered Muhammad Yunus’ interim Bangladesh government (IMAGE: REUTERS)

Bangladesh Unrest: Amid widespread violent protests across Bangladesh, deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the country’s interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, accusing it of carrying out “unspeakable atrocities" against minorities.

In her message issued on the occasion of Christmas, the 78-year-old Awami League leader claimed that the current administration, which has seized power illegally, is setting “horrific precedents such as burning religious minorities to death", in an apparent reference to the lynching of a Hindu man in Bangladesh last week.

In her speech, the deposed Prime Minister said that in the past, Bangladesh had always been a “shining example of communal harmony".

“The father of the nation dreamed of a non-communal Bangladesh. Bangladesh Awami League has ensured the smooth living of people of all religions to realise that dream," Hasina said.

She further said that the current Yunus’s interim government, however, is interfering with the freedom of people of all religions to practise their faiths.

“In particular, it is perpetrating unspeakable atrocities against non-Muslims. It has even set horrific precedents such as burning religious minorities to death. I firmly believe that the people of Bangladesh will not allow this dark time to continue any longer," she said.

Hasina hoped that Christmas would further strengthen the existing bonds of harmony and goodwill between Christians and followers of other religions in Bangladesh.

“On this festive occasion of Christmas, I wish all Christian brothers and sisters happiness, peace, and prosperity," she said.

She concluded by saying that she believes that the “people of Bangladesh will not allow this difficult time to continue" and that the Christmas spirit will strengthen the harmony between Christians and other religions in Bangladesh.

“May darkness give way to dawn. May Bangladesh live forever," she added.

Her remarks came after violent protests erupted in Dhaka over the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent student leader.

Shockingly, a Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, was beaten to death in Bhaluka, Mymensingh, after being accused of making derogatory remarks about Islam during a factory event. After his death, the mob allegedly tied his body to a tree and set it on fire last week.

In another mob lynching incident, a 29-year-old Hindu man was beaten to death by a crowd in Rajbari district late on Wednesday night. The victim, identified as Amrit Mandal alias Samrat, was assaulted around 11 pm at Hosaindanga Old Market in Pangsha Upazila and was declared dead shortly after the attack.

Hadi was one of the key organisers of the July 2024 uprising, a protest movement that initially centred on reform demands and opposition to a law passed by the then Hasina government but was later overtaken by Islamist groups, according to critics.

Following the unrest, Hasina fled to India after mobs attacked Gonobhobon, the prime ministerial residence, and set ablaze the residence of Bangladesh’s founding father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

After Hasina’s ouster, a tribunal later sentenced her to death and sought her extradition from India, a move New Delhi has not acted upon.

In the aftermath of the protests, several Islamist leaders, including hardline figures, were released from jail. The interim government also lifted the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, the country’s largest Islamist political party, allowing it to resume activities that were prohibited under Hasina’s administration, while banning the Awami League.

(With inputs from agencies)

News world ‘Burning Minorities To Death’: Sheikh Hasina Slams Yunus Govt Amid Bangladesh Unrest

Read More