"Sheikh Hasina destroyed unity, integrity of country": Historian Irfan Habib condemns violence against Bangladesh minorities

New Delhi: Historian Irfan Habib has condemned the ongoing violence against minority communities in Bangladesh and said that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina "destroyed the unity and integrity" of the neighbouring country.
"Whatever is happening in Bangladesh and this is my stated position on religious violence anywhere like what is happening in Bangladesh is to be condemned. Violence and hatred in the name of religion, in the name of ideology, political ideology, or extremism of another form need to be condemned. This is what I have been seeing all this whether when it happens in our country and neighbouring country I have spoken against violence against minorities in Pakistan as well," Habib told ANI on Sunday.
So I stand for a position where hatred, and violence in the name of religion anywhere even in our country or in other countries. Should not be justified, should be condemned outright there is no if and but in that," he said.
He further said that Bangladesh which was created in the name of culture, civilization and language did not go along with those "values."
"Hasina Sheikh destroyed the unity and integrity of our own country of the people of her own country. Which is sad. People are indulging in violence in the name of religion, so for me, the history of Bangladesh is not what has happened now. The country was divided in the name of religion in 1947 and Pakistan was formed. Bangladesh was created because there were issues regarding language culture and all sorts of political issues with West Pakistan. Religion was the same, but there were differences on so many other counts and a new nation was created. Now that new nation which was created in the name of culture, civilization and language, did not go along those values, unfortunately," he added.
Habib held the former Bangladesh PM "responsible" for everything happening in the country and said that her governance was "not good."
"If anyone looks at that violence on the basis of religion, it is very sad. And I hold Sheikh Hasina responsible for that, because of her governance everything happened. Governance was not good and because of that, these people got a chance. So this is a matter of great sadness," he said.
The situation in Bangladesh has been marked by increasing violence against minority communities, with temples, being destroyed after the arrest of a former priest Chinmoy Krishna Das.
A student-led movement ousted Bangladesh's then Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, after weeks of protests and clashes that killed over 600 people. Hasina, 76, fled to India on August 5 and an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed.