Hindus Rally In Bangladesh To Demand Protection Against Violence, Legal Safeguards For Religious Minorities

Thousands of minority Hindus rallied on Saturday (2 November) to demand protection from the Muhammad Yunus led interim government for minority religions in Muslim-majority Bangladesh against a wave of attacks and threats after Sheikh Hasina's ouster in August.

They also demanded the Bangladesh government to drop sedition charges against Hindu community leaders.

The removal of Hasina on August after a student-led uprising saw a spate of reprisals on Hindus, who were seen as supporters of her government which had largely followed a secular style of functioning.

The caretaker government that replaced her, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has failed to prevent such attacks on Hindus and other minorities.

In the months since, ongoing protests by Hindus have asserted that such attacks persist, pressing Yunus' administration—referred to as an "advisory council" responsible for enacting democratic reforms and organising new elections—to take swift action.

"It's deeply regrettable that the council of advisors do not acknowledge the sufferings minorities have endured," Hindu civic leader Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari was quoted as saying by AFP.

"I have witnessed the atrocities against them -- their temples, businesses, and homes," he added.

The organisers of the protest have called on the interim government to pass legislation to protect religious minority groups and mandate a minimum share of minority representation in government, among other demands.

Adding to the tension, sedition charges were filed this week against 19 people who took part in an earlier rally for minority rights in Chittagong, a port city in Bangladesh.

Authorities accused the group of dishonoring the Bangladeshi national flag by raising a saffron flag—representative of Hinduism—above it.

"Framing our leaders with false charges, like sedition, has made us sceptical of the government's intentions," protest member Chiranjan Goswami was quoted as saying by AFP.

In Bangladesh, a predominantly Muslim nation, Hindus represent the largest minority group, comprising roughly eight percent of the population.

Swatantra Gouranga Das Brahmachari, a coordinator of Sanatan Jagaran Mancha, at the rally said that the members of law enforcement agencies were obstructing people coming to the rally.

Gouranga Das said they will submit a memorandum to the chief advisor Yunus through the deputy commissioners of 64 districts demanding for the withdrawal of the case on Sunday.

"We will go for a tougher programme if the case is not withdrawn by Monday," he warned.

He said BNP general secretary of the port city's Mohora ward unit Firoj Khan filed the case on Wednesday, adding, "BNP has already expelled him from the party on charges of acting against the norms and ideology of the party", Daily Star newspaper reported.

"That means, BNP has understood that Firoj was trying to hamper the peaceful situation of the country by creating an untoward situation," he said, adding, "After his expulsion from the party, is there any moral basis for the case?"

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