Hindus in Bangladesh Face Revenge Attacks After Prime Minister’s Exit

Hindus in Bangladesh, perceived by many to be supporters of the prime minister who was ousted in a popular uprising, braced for violent reprisals on Wednesday as the rudderless country awaited the formation of a new government after a month of unrest.

The former prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, fled Bangladesh on Monday after a violent crackdown failed to quell a nationwide movement against her government. As thousands of protesters celebrated her ouster that afternoon, reports began to emerge of retaliation against members of Ms. Hasina’s party, the Awami League, and against those seen as her allies, including the Hindu minority.

In addition to the party’s offices and the homes of its members, the rioters targeted Hindus, torching their homes and vandalizing temples, according to witnesses and local media. Fears of more attacks were amplified in the absence of a government and with law enforcement retreating from sight in many parts of the country.

In addition to the almost 300 people killed during the government crackdown, at least 60 were killed in the violence that erupted on Monday in Muslim-majority Bangladesh. Reliable details about the attackers and victims were not immediately available.

Prionthi Chatterjee, a Hindu student in Dhaka, the capital, said Muslims attacked her family at their home in the southern Bagerhat region, killing her father and leaving her mother with head injuries.

“My father was an innocent teacher,” she said in a phone interview, adding that her parents tried to call the army and the police for help, but no one responded. Details about the incident could not be independently verified.