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Chief Adviser’s Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder on Monday said the killings of 23 minority individuals, as mentioned in a recent report by the Bangladesh Hindu Buddha Christian Unity Council, were not found to be connected to communal violence.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddha Christian Unity Council, at a press conference on Thursday, claimed that 23 people had been killed in communal violence over the past four and a half months following the July uprising.
Taking the claim seriously, the interim government compiled a list of the 23 victims.
The Chief Adviser’s Office then sent the list to the respective police stations, requesting reports on the actual causes of each death and details of any legal action taken, UNB reports.
DPS Azad said this providing update during a media briefing at the Foreign Service Academy in the evening.
According to the police headquarters, preliminary investigations revealed reasons behind 22 of the 23 deaths, with appropriate legal measures taken in each case. However, no detailed information was available for one of the incidents.
Azad emphasised that legal actions had been initiated for all these incidents. In two cases, where one individual committed suicide and another drowned, police have already submitted final investigative reports.
The remaining 21 cases are under investigation, with 47 people arrested so far. Among them, 17 have confessed and provided statements in court under Section 164.
Azad reiterated that the interim government, led by Professor Muhammad Yunus, does not condone any form of violence.
At the same time, he expressed concern over the spread of misinformation that misrepresents these incidents as communal violence.
He warned that such propaganda could jeopardise communal harmony and urged all parties to act responsibly in this matter.