Guwahati, Aug 10: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has expressed concerns over the declining Hindu population in Assam and Bangladesh, citing official census data. Sarma noted a 9.23% decline in the Hindu population in Assam from 1951 to 2011, and a 13.5% decline in Bangladesh over the same period.

The Chief Minister’s comments come amid ongoing unrest in Bangladesh, where Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as the head of the interim government on August 8. Sarma anticipates similar demographic shifts in West Bengal and Jharkhand, indicating a broader regional trend.

The situation has raised concerns about further instability in the region, with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi extending best wishes to Yunus and referencing reports of violence targeting Hindus in Bangladesh.