A significant portion of Bangladesh’s population believes the caretaker government is providing better security for religious and ethnic minorities compared to the previous Awami League government, reveals a recent survey by Voice of America (VOA). The survey, conducted in late October, found that 64.1% of respondents think the caretaker government is offering greater protection to minorities than the previous administration. In contrast, 15.3% believe the situation has worsened, while 17.9% feel it remains unchanged. It, however, says that the perceptions of security vary between Muslims and non-Muslims. The poll included 1,000 respondents selected to reflect Bangladesh’s demographics. The sample was evenly split between men and women, with 92.7% identifying as Muslim. Slightly over half of the respondents were under the age of 34, and about a quarter resided in urban areas. Initial Turmoil After the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, religious minorities, particularly Hindus, faced a wave of violence, including attacks on homes, businesses, and places of worship. "Attacks were motivated both by political affiliations and simply for being a minority," said Nur Khan Liton, a human rights activist. He noted incidents such as arson attacks on Ahmadiyya communities in Panchagarh. Highlighting the longstanding vulnerability of minorities in Bangladesh, Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, criticised successive governments for failing to protect minority rights. “The indigenous communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts are deliberately marginalised, and authorities have deprived them of their rights. Hindus and Ahmadiyyas remain targets of extremist groups,” Ganguly said in an interview with VOA. However, under the caretaker government led by Dr Muhammad Yunus, significant efforts have been made to stabilise the situation. Civil society, religious institutions, and security forces came together to protect places of worship. "Within a month, we observed notable improvements due to collaborative efforts from the public, political parties, and religious groups," said Nur Khan, now a member of the newly established Commission on Enforced Disappearances. Differences in Perception The survey revealed a divide in perceptions of safety between Muslims and minorities. Among Muslim respondents, only 13.9% felt the situation had worsened under the caretaker government. However, 33.9% of minority respondents believed their security had declined. Jayati Sarker, a Dhaka resident and NGO worker, expressed mixed feelings. While she previously felt safe returning home late at night, she now fears venturing out even earlier in the evening. "In the past, I didn’t hesitate to return home with my daughter at 11 p.m. Now, even at 8 p.m., I feel unsafe," she said. Despite these concerns, some respondents acknowledged a sense of relief due to the absence of certain political elements. "For 15 years, Awami League activists acquired Hindu-owned land at low prices or forced sales. Now, they are gone, creating a sense of relief," Sarker added. Read: 60.4 % think freedom of expression improved under interim govt: VOA survey  Hiren Pandit, a programme coordinator in Dhaka, noted improved security in rural areas due to increased military deployment but remained cautious about the future. "Our village homes were burned down, and we still live with insecurity," Pandit said. International Concern The post-transition violence against minorities in Bangladesh has drawn international attention. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has consistently voiced its concerns, while US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed minority rights with Dr Yunus during their September 26 meeting in New York. Donald Trump, the newly elected US President, condemned the violence in an October 31 post on social media platforms X and Truth Social. “I strongly condemn the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities in Bangladesh,” Trump wrote. Future Prospects In an address marking the caretaker government’s 100 days, Dr Yunus attributed the violence to political motivations rather than religious tensions. “Some incidents were given a religious guise to destabilise the country further,” he said. Read more: VOA Survey on Bangladesh: 61.1% want elections soon, 65.9% prefer reforms first Human rights activist Nur Khan sees encouraging signs but emphasised the need for consistent actions over the coming months to rebuild trust within minority communities. "The sense of unease is reducing, but whether minorities can feel fully secure depends on the government’s initiatives in the next six to nine months," Khan said.

The council of advisers led by Dr Muhammad Yunus is likely to induct some new faces this month to speed up administrative activities, according to official sources at the Secretariat. Moreover, the distribution of ministries and departments may see a reshuffle, said the sources familiar with the thinking. The interim government is now into its second month. Preferring anonymity, the officials said discussions are ongoing regarding the addition of three or four new faces who have previous experience of working in the respective ministries and departments. Currently, the advisers of the interim government have been handling two or more ministries which slows down the administrative activities. To reduce the workload of those currently managing multiple ministries, the new advisers will be added to the existing 21-advisory council. Wishing not to be named, a senior official from the Cabinet Division said new advisers could be appointed within this month but he didn’t specify when. Though the exact number of new advisers is yet to be set, it could be three to four, he said, adding that preparations for this are underway. There are allegations of noncooperation from the secretaries, department heads and officials of the administration appointed during the Awami League regime to the interim government, resulting in slow pace of work. After appointing new advisers, the speed of administrative work and monitoring within each ministry will gather speed, the authorities concerned hoped. When asked about the current slowdown in administration, Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, adviser to the Youth and Sports Ministry and the Labour and Employment Ministry, said that the problems that persisted for 16 to 17 years cant’ be solved within a few days. Echoing Asif, another young adviser Nahid Islam at a press conference on September 12 at the Secretariat, said "We are noticing a lack of cooperation from various sources. We hope the stagnation will be resolved soon." Following the student-led mass upsurge, Dr Yunus-led interim government took oath on August 8, with 17 members. Read: Three advisers to look into bribery allegation in DC appointment Later on August 16, four more advisers joined them. Currently, three advisers are responsible for three ministries each, while ten advisers oversee two ministries each. On August 12, Chief Adviser Dr. Yunus instructed 28 secretaries working across 25 ministries and divisions to accelerate their efforts. However, no visible headway has been seen yet. Following this four more advisers were appointed on August 16 and the chief adviser called a meeting with secretaries from all ministries on September 4 asking them to increase work speed. Which ministries under discussion The ministries under discussion for new advisers include the Ministries of Commerce, Health, Road Transport and Bridges, Railways, Education, Planning, Agriculture, Food and Civil Aviation and Tourism respectively. There are 58 ministries and departments under the government. The Awami League-led last cabinet was formed by 45 full ministers, state and deputy ministers. In the previous cabinet of the 11th parliament, the number of the cabinet had 47. During Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed's caretaker government, the number of advisers was 16. The ministries under Chief Adviser The ministries under Dr. Yunus include the Cabinet Division, Ministry of Defense, Armed Forces Division, Ministry of Food, Ministry of Public Administration, and Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism. Dr Salehuddin Ahmed oversees the Ministries of Finance and Commerce and Science and Technology, while Prof Asif Nazrul handles the Ministries of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment and Culture. Read more: Govt officials inc. advisers to submit wealth, income statements within fortnight of filing taxes Other advisers include Lt. Gen. (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury for the Ministries of Home Affairs and Agriculture, Wahiduddin Mahmud for the Planning and Education Ministries and several others overseeing various ministries. AF Hassan Ariff has been entrusted with ministries of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives and Ministry of Land, Adilur Rahman Khan with ministries of Industry and Ministry of Housing and Public Works. Ali Imam Majumdar has been attached to the Office of the chief adviser. Syeda Rizwana Hasan has been performing duty at ministries of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Water Resources. Though Brig. Gen (retd) M. Sakhawat Hossain was assigned with the Home Ministry, later he was shifted to ministries of Textiles and Jute and Shipping. Md. Touhid Hossain is handling the ministry of Foreign Affairs. Along with those, the other advisers are tasked with enhancing the operational efficiency and responsiveness of their respective ministries in the current interim government.