Bangladesh Crisis: Majority community students take turns to guard minorities, their places
Noakhali area.
As violence raged in Bangladesh, 16 monks and disciples of ISKCON temple in Meherpur had to flee and take shelter in undisclosed locations after the temple was set ablaze on August 5, ISKCON Temple-Meherpur director Sumohan Mukunda Das told ET over phone from Bangladesh.
The majority community students are now taking turns to guard and protect the minorities in Noakhali.
Samin Yusa, a student of Noakhali Government College and an active member of the protesting student's movement, told ET, «In Noakhali, our group and some other students have taken the responsibility of protecting a Hindu crematorium. There is a temple nearby where Jamaat-e-Islami has also kept a group for protection of temples and other establishments belonging to minorities. A team of students from a local madrasa here is working for the safety of people. We have asked temple authorities to call us if they are in trouble. We have taken the initiative ourselves locally.»
She said, «While the Jamaat has created a team of volunteers, Hefazat-i-Islam has created a helpline for minorities.» The key coordinators of Students Against Discrimination, the group that spearheaded the anti-Hasina protests, said they were tortured by the Awami League but are not against minorities, including Hindus.
«A Muslim man spotted praying salah in front of Dhakeshwari temple… and protecting the Hindu temple from all the evil people who are trying to stop the reform by attacking minorities...,» Saif Ahmed, social media manager of Bangla Tigers cricket
