Hindu activists during a protest against the alleged atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh, in Karnataka.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Several Indian-Americans plan to hold peaceful rallies in the U.S. capital and Chicago over the next two days to protest the attacks against Hindus in Bangladesh, organisers have said.

The march protesting the ‘Genocide of Hindus in Bangladesh’ is being organised by HinduAction near the White House on Monday, December 9, while the ‘Stop the Genocide: Save Hindu Lives in Bangladesh’ is being organised by eminent community leaders in Chicago on Sunday, December 8.

Also read | Centre at Dhaka set on fire, claims ISKCON

“The situation in Bangladesh is not just a regional crisis; it is a humanitarian catastrophe with global implications. Genocide is a crime against humanity. It is the responsibility of the international community to intervene, protect, and prevent further atrocities,” said www.stophindugenocide.org created by Indian-Americans to document the crime against Hindus in Bangladesh over the past several months.

In recent days, the brutality against Hindus has escalated to shocking levels, it said.

Utsav Chakrabarti, executive director of HinduACTion, called on the outgoing Biden-Harris administration to take all possible measures to prevent further escalation of violence by radical Islamists against Hindus in Bangladesh.

The minority Hindu community in Muslim-majority Bangladesh has reportedly faced more than 200 attacks in 50-odd districts following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5.

London:

UK member of Parliament Bob Blackman, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Hindus, has raised concerns in the House of Commons over the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.

During a Parliament session on Thursday, the MP for Harrow East in north London condemned the persecution of minorities and the imprisonment of Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh.

He pointed out that Das is the spiritual leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), which runs the Bhaktivedanta Manor temple at Elstree in Watford, one of the UK’s largest Hindu temples on the outskirts of London.

“[He] is under arrest in Bangladesh and Hindus across Bangladesh are being subjected to death, with their houses and temples being burnt,” Blackman told MPs.

“There was today (Thursday) an attempt in Bangladesh’s High Court to rule that ISKCON should be banned from the country, which is a direct attack on Hindus. There is now a threat from India to take action and we have a responsibility because we enabled Bangladesh to be free and independent,” he said.

The Opposition Conservative Party MP stressed that it “cannot be acceptable that religious minorities are persecuted in this way” and called for freedom of religion to be preserved globally.

“We support freedom of religion or belief everywhere and that includes Bangladesh. I will certainly ask Foreign Office Ministers to look at coming forward with a statement about what is happening to Hindus in Bangladesh,” said Lucy Powell in her response on behalf of the UK government as the Leader of the House of Commons.

Blackman’s intervention was welcomed by the diaspora group Friends of India Society International (FISI) UK which condemned the numerous attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, including “arson, looting, theft, vandalism, and desecration of temples and deities”.

It follows a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement calling on Bangladesh authorities to ensure the “safety and security of Hindus and all minorities, including their right of freedom of peaceful assembly and expression”.

The MEA statement said: “We have noted with deep concern the arrest and denial of bail to Shri Chinmoy Krishna Das, the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote spokesperson. This incident follows the multiple attacks on Hindus and other minorities by extremist elements in Bangladesh.

“There are several documented cases of arson and looting of minorities’ homes and business establishments as well as theft and vandalism and desecration of deities and temples. It is unfortunate that while the perpetrators of these incidents remain at large, charges should be pressed against a religious leader presenting legitimate demands through peaceful gatherings. We also note with concern the attacks on minorities protesting peacefully against the arrest of Shri Das.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Bangladesh Hindus participating in a rally to demand that an interim government withdraw all cases against their leaders and protect them from attacks and harassment, argue with the security personnel in Chattogram, Bangladesh, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

Tens of thousands of minority Hindus rallied on Friday (November 1, 2024) to demand that the interim government in Muslim-majority Bangladesh protect them from a wave of attacks and harassment and drop sedition cases against Hindu community leaders.

About 30,000 Hindus demonstrated at a major intersection in the southeastern city of Chattogram chanting slogans demanding their rights while police and soldiers guarded the area. Other protests were reported elsewhere in the country.

Hindu groups say thousands of attacks against Hindus have happened since early August when the secular government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was overthrown and Ms. Hasina fled the country following a student-led uprising. Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel peace laureate named to lead an interim government after Ms. Hasina’s downfall, says those figures have been exaggerated.

Hindus make up about 8% of the country’s nearly 170 million people, while Muslims are about 91%.

Also Read: Tension grips Bangladesh as protesters demand removal of President over comments on Hasina’s resignation

The country’s influential minority group Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has said that there have been more than 2,000 attacks on Hindus since Aug. 4, as the interim government has struggled to restore order.

U.N. Human Rights officials and other rights groups have expressed concern over human rights in the country under Mr. Yunus.

Hindus and other minority communities say the interim government hasn’t adequately protected them and that hardline Islamists are becoming increasingly influential since Hasina’s ouster.

The issue has reached beyond Bangladesh, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi voicing concern over reports of attacks.

While the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has said it is monitoring Bangladesh’s human rights issues since Ms. Hasina’s ouster, U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump has condemned what he described as “barbaric” violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities in Bangladesh.

In a post on X, he said: “I strongly condemn the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities who are getting attacked and looted by mobs in Bangladesh, which remains in a total state of chaos.”

Hindu activists have been staging protest rallies in the capital, Dhaka, and elsewhere since August to press a set of eight demands including a law to protect minorities, a ministry for minorities and a tribunal to prosecute acts of oppression against minorities. They also seek a five-day holiday for their largest festival, the Durga Puja.

Friday’s protest in Chattogram was hastily organized after sedition charges were filed Wednesday against 19 Hindu leaders, including prominent priest Chandan Kumar Dhar, over an October 25 rally in that city. Police arrested two of the leaders, angering Hindus.

The charges stem from an incident when a group of rally-goers allegedly placed a saffron flag above the Bangladesh flag on a pillar, which was considered disrespecting the national flag.

Hindu community leaders say the cases are politically motivated and on Thursday demanded that they be withdrawn within 72 hours. Another Hindu rally has been planned for Saturday in Dhaka.

Separately, supporters of Hasina’s Awami League party and its allied Jatiya Party have said they also have been targeted since Hasina’s ouster. Jatiya’s headquarters was vandalized and set on fire late Thursday.

On Friday, Jatiya Party Chairman G.M. Quader said his supporters would continue to hold rallies to demand their rights despite risking their lives. He said they would hold a rally Saturday at the party headquarters in Dhaka to protest price hikes of commodities, and what they call false charges against their leaders and activists.

Later Friday, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police announced it was banning any rallies near the Jatiya headquarters. There was no immediate response from the party about whether it press ahead with its attempts to hold the rally, or change the venue.

The police decision came after a student group strongly criticized the police administration for initially granting permission for the rally, and threatened to block it.

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus salutes to the attendees upon arrival at the Bangabhaban to take oath as the head of the interim government, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, August 8, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

A notification issued by the Bangladesh President’s office last week has triggered concerns about “racial profiling” of the minority Hindu community in the neighbouring country.

The notification from the President’s Personnel department, issued on August 29, had sought the personal details of senior Hindu officials in the government, ostensibly to make an invitation list for an event at Bangabhaban, the office and residence of the President of Bangladesh Mohammed Shahabuddin. Vijaya Dashami and Sri Krishna Janmashtami are both in Bangladesh’s list of national holidays.

However, the claim that the list of Hindu officers is being compiled for festival purposes only is “a bit hard to buy”, according to Suhas Chakma, director of the Delhi-based Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG), given the backdrop of reported incidents of violence against minority groups in Bangladesh in the wake of last month’s ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government.

‘Racial profiling’

“Seeking the list of only Hindu officers by the President of Bangladesh is nothing but an act of racial profiling of the Hindus by the Government of Bangladesh for the purpose of specific targeting of minorities based on their religious belief,” said Mr. Chakma, indicating that the notice has to be seen within the context of several Hindu officials and academics being forced to resign by agitating students and protesters over the last few weeks.

Mr. Chakma, who has been vocal about the condition of religious and ethnic minorities in Bangladesh, Myanmar and India’s northeastern States, added that there is “genuine fear” that senior officers will be targeted and “silenced”. He pointed out that, subsequent to the notification from the President’s office, other Bangladeshi Ministries have also issued similar notices, citing the festival season. He shared a similar notification issued by the Bangladesh Ministry of Textiles and Jute with The Hindu.

“This violates the UN human rights laws relating to racial discrimination and the rights of the minorities and is a fit case for the UN Rapporteurs to intervene,” Mr. Chakma said.

New Delhi:

Bangladesh has assured to protect and ensure security and safety of Hindus and all minorities living in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X today. PM Modi said the Bangladesh interim government’s chief adviser Muhammad Yunus dialled him and gave him the assurance.

In his Independence Day speech yesterday, PM Modi had said he hoped the situation in violence-hit Bangladesh would return to normal soon as 140 crore Indians were concerned over the safety of Hindus and minorities in the neighbouring country.

“Received a telephone call from Professor Muhammad Yunus. Exchanged views on the prevailing situation. Reiterated India’s support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all minorities in Bangladesh,” PM Modi said in the post.

Received a telephone call from Professor Muhammad Yunus, @ChiefAdviserGoB. Exchanged views on the prevailing situation. Reiterated India’s support for a democratic, stable, peaceful and progressive Bangladesh. He assured protection, safety and security of Hindus and all…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 16, 2024

On Tuesday, Mr Yunus had reached out to Hindus in Bangladesh when he visited Dhakeshwari temple in the capital Dhaka. He promised to punish those who attacked minorities during the recent violence after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted.

Many reports had come from across Bangladesh with visuals claiming attacks on Hindus and other minorities. Some reports showed temples being destroyed and men and women attacked by mobs. The Indian Cultural Centre was destroyed, and a number of institutions were vandalised, including the ISKCON temple.

Even Opposition leader and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor’s comments on the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh found a non-partisan resonance. Mr Tharoor had said it was difficult for people in India to be indifferent when every symbol of the country’s friendship with Bangladesh was attacked there.

“It’s extremely tragic that what was hailed as a democratic, popular revolution has degenerated into anarchy, and violence targeting the minorities and the Hindu minority… We in India must stand with the people of Bangladesh. But it’s difficult for us to be indifferent when every symbol of India’s friendship with Bangladesh is being attacked,” Mr Tharoor told news agency ANI on Wednesday.

A clash happened on Tuesday between Bangladesh army personnel and members of the minority Hindu community protesting with posters of their family members who had gone missing during the violence. The protesters were outside Jamuna State Guest House in Dhaka, where Mr Yunus is living now.

Ms Hasina, 76, who ruled Bangladesh with an iron hand for 15 years, resigned as the Prime Minister following massive protests that initially began as an agitation against a job-quota scheme but weeks later, morphed into a mass movement demanding her ouster from power. The controversial quota system provided for 30 per cent reservation in civil services jobs for the families of veterans who fought the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.