Hindu Community Protests in Bangladesh, Demands Protection from Extremist Violence

Thousands of people from the minority Hindu community staged massive protests for the second consecutive day yesterday in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka and Chattogram.

Due to the protest, the movement of vehicles was blocked for more than three hours in Dhaka’s Shahbagh area. The protesters were demanding protection from the violence of extremists and attacks on Hindu homes, businesses and temples across the country. The protesters were demanding the formation of a special tribunal to punish those responsible for the attack on minorities, allocation of ten percent seats in Parliament for minorities and enactment of a minority protection law. People from the Muslim community also supported the minorities in the protest to show solidarity.

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Since the resignation of Sheikh Hasina from the post of Prime Minister, the Hindu community in Bangladesh has been a victim of violence and violence. Many temples, homes and business establishments of the Hindu community have been vandalized. In these incidents, two Hindu leaders associated with Ms. Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party were killed.

Oikya Parishad, an organization working for the rights of minorities in Bangladesh, in a letter to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, has given details of two hundred and five riotous incidents in 52 districts of the country after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5.

Meanwhile, US lawmakers of Indian origin have demanded a debate in Parliament on the attack on Hindus in Bangladesh. MP Mr. Thanedar has written a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanding a discussion in Congress so that there can be a discussion on the failure to provide security to Hindus and other minority communities and to prevent such incidents in future. Mr. Thanedar and another Congress member Raja Krishnamurthy have also appealed to Blinken to appeal to the new government of Bangladesh to stop the violence against Hindus.