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DHAKA: Amid growing atrocities against minorities, particularly Hindus, ahead of the Feb 12 national elections, the Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladesh interim govt on Sunday sought to downplay media reports about incidents - including killings - as attempts "to destroy communal harmony through false propaganda". "Statements made based on false or fabricated information can create confusion in society and can become risky for communal harmony," chief adviser Yunus's senior assistant press secretary Foyez Ahammad told reporters, two days after India said attempts to whitewash the communal intent behind the crimes and attribute these to "personal rivalries and political differences" only "emboldens the perpetrators".

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The Yunus-led administration has repeatedly brushed aside reports of incidents related to minorities as propaganda. "Though the murder of businessman Moni Chakraborty in Narsingdi was promoted as a communal attack, it was initially due to family feud and business rivalry," Foyez said, adding that "according to the initial impression of the police and the victim's family, no communal link was found with the murder".

Moni was hacked to death last Monday, just hours after Hindu journalist Rana Pratap was shot dead in Jessore. Foyez said that "false propaganda has been spread about the incident in various places, including social media, where it is presented as a communal attack.