The interim government Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus has binned the allegations of persecutions on Hindu minority in Bangladesh.

"There is no anti-Hindu violence. One of the specialties of India right now is fake news," he said during an interview with Zeteo`s Mehdi Hasan on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Prof Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist, became the interim head of Bangladesh following the 2024 July Uprising that led to the ouster of former fascist prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

"I was surprised," Yunus said, reflecting on the public`s decision to name him as interim chief which he "reluctantly accepted". "If you have sacrificed so much, I will change my mind," he recalled telling the impassioned protestors at the time.

According to Zeteo, in November, around 30,000 Hindus in Bangladesh gathered to protest Yunus`s interim government, with US President Donald Trump even weighing in to call Bangladesh`s treatment of Hindus "barbaric".

Asked what India Prime Minister Narendra Modi told him about harbouring ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Yunus said, "I have spoken to Modi [about sending her back]. He said two things. First, they said, they want to keep her. I said we can`t tell you what to do with her. But make sure she doesn`t talk about us. She doesn`t talk about Bangladeshi people. He said, the social media I cannot control."

Yunus further said, "They have been supporting her all along. They`re still hoping that she will come back to Bangladesh with full glory, returning as a victorious leader."

Mehdi asked why is Bangladesh taking 18 months to hold an election? In response, Yunus pointed out that there are many types of demands in Bangladesh.

"While some want the election now, some want the interim government to stay for five more years," he said. "Our interim government has three main duties — reform, trial, and election."

He pointed out that the other two duties are time-consuming, so it is taking 18 months to hold the election.