The Hindu minority in Bangladesh has frequently been the target of sectarian violence. But the interim government has made the protection of minorities a priority and is trying to ensure that Hindus can celebrate their most important religious festival in peace.
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00:00This is a Durga Puja, an important Hindu festival.
00:05We are in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, where the vast majority of people are Muslims.
00:12There has long been tension and even violence between the 6 million Hindus and the 150 million
00:18Muslims.
00:21Tension is particularly high this year.
00:23You can feel it here, even as the people celebrate the festival.
00:27When Bangladeshis overthrew Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina this summer, some Hindus thought
00:31that they had lost their greatest protector.
00:34A number of attacks on our Hindu supporters followed, continuing a history of violence
00:39for Bangladeshi Islamists.
00:41Even worse for the mood was a flood of fake news of massacres.
00:46This high-profile security at the festival is the result of promises by the new government
00:51to protect Hindus.
00:53But it's not just men in uniform who are here at the Dhakeshwari temple to make sure Hindus
00:58can celebrate in peace.
01:00Ordinary Bangladeshis of many political persuasions and backgrounds are volunteering to help.
01:06The government positions, a lot of different political parties, they came to us and they
01:15are in the street.
01:16Okay?
01:17The Bangladesh Jati Udawadi Dal, BNP, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islam, Islamic Andolan, Communist
01:24Party, their anti-discrimination student organizations and other social organizations, they came
01:33and they also joined hands with us.
01:36Security measures can be seen in many places.
01:38This is Shankahari Bazaar in Old Dhaka.
01:41It is home to one of the city's largest Hindu communities.
01:47Leaders at this temple closed it down shortly after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government.
01:53Looting and vandalism made it impossible to stay open at first.
02:00Students with lots of people accompanying them came here and told us to keep the temple
02:04open.
02:05They said, you don't have to worry about anything.
02:07You will stay safe.
02:08They came in big groups.
02:10They came in the morning, in the afternoon.
02:12They kept telling us that we are here for your safety.
02:15The temple has been open ever since.
02:21The interim government says protecting minorities is one of their main priorities.
02:30We've already started working on the compensation and judicial process for the attacks that
02:36took place on the minority community after our revolution.
02:42We are also working to ensure that they can observe their festival in a safe environment.
02:48If anyone becomes a threat to them or tries to attack them, the state will take the strictest
02:54of actions.
02:55But it will take time before everyone feels safe.
03:01The situation in Dhaka is not very vulnerable now.
03:05But there are people in the rural areas who are still feeling some lack of safety.
03:10Even in Dhaka, pooja and a few mandabs has been cancelled as far as I know.
03:16We never felt as unsafe or as insecure before.
03:19I don't feel safe now.
03:20I felt safer before.
03:22Now I don't know.
03:24For more Hindus to feel they're really safe here, the government and civil society will
03:29have to keep up practical efforts to protect them.
03:32The damage done by past violence and current misinformation will take time and continued
03:37vigilance to repair.