Hindus in Muslim-majority Bangladesh rally to demand protection from attacks

Hindus in Muslim-majority Bangladesh rally to demand protection from attacks


Bangladeshi Hindus, participating in a rally demanding the interim government to withdraw all cases against their leaders and protect them from attacks and harassment, argue with security personnel in Chattogram, Bangladesh, Friday, Nov. 1, 2024.

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

Thousands of minority Hindus rallied on Friday (November 1, 2024) demanding that the interim government in Muslim-majority Bangladesh protect them from the 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 secured the area. Protests were also reported elsewhere in the country.

Hindu groups say Thousands of attacks on Hindus This has happened since the beginning of August when there was a secular government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was overthrown and Ms. Hasina fled the country after a student-led rebellion. Muhammad YunusThe Nobel Peace Prize winner nominated to lead an interim government after Ms Hasina’s fall says those figures have been exaggerated.

Hindus constitute about 8% of the country’s population of approximately 170 million, while Muslims constitute about 91%.

Also read: Tension prevails in Bangladesh as protesters demand removal of President over comments on Hasina’s resignation

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

united nations human rights Authorities and other rights groups have expressed concerns over human rights in the country under Mr. Yunus’s leadership.

Hindus and other minority communities say the interim government has not adequately protected them and that radical Islamists are becoming increasingly influential after Hasina’s ouster.

With Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing concern over the news of the attacks, the issue has reached beyond Bangladesh.

While the administration of US President Joe Biden has said it is monitoring Bangladesh’s human rights issues since Ms Hasina’s ouster, US presidential candidate Donald Trump has described the crackdown against Hindus, Christians and other minorities in Bangladesh as “barbaric”. Violence has been condemned.

In a post on X, he said: “I strongly condemn the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians and other minorities in Bangladesh who are being attacked and looted by mobs who are in a state of complete anarchy “

Hindu activists have been holding protest rallies in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere since August with eight demands, including a law to protect minorities, a ministry for minorities and a tribunal to prosecute acts of oppression against minorities. They also want five days leave for their biggest festival, Durga Puja.

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

The charges stem from an incident when a group of rally attendees allegedly placed a saffron flag over the Bangladesh flag on a pole, which was considered an insult to the national flag.

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

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

On Friday, Jatiya Party president GM Quader said his supporters would continue to organize rallies to demand their rights despite risking their lives. They said they would hold a rally on Saturday at the party headquarters in Dhaka to protest against the rise in prices of commodities and what they called false allegations against their leaders and workers.

Later on Friday, Dhaka Metropolitan Police announced that it was banning any rallies near the Jatiya Headquarters. There was no immediate reaction from the party on whether it would proceed with its efforts to organize the rally, or change the venue.

The police decision came after a student group strongly criticized the police administration for initially allowing the rally and threatened to stop it.



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