Over 30,000 Bangladeshi Hindus Stage Protest Demanding Security Amid Surge In Attacks

Tens of thousands of Hindus rallied on Friday, urging Bangladesh's interim government to protect them amidst a surge of attacks and harassment, and to drop sedition charges against Hindu community leaders.

Approximately 30,000 Hindus gathered at a key intersection in Chattogram, a southeastern city, chanting slogans in demand of their rights while security forces, including police and soldiers, guarded the area.

Similar protests were reported across Bangladesh, reported AP.

Photo Credit: PTI

Hindu organisations report thousands of attacks on Hindus since early August, when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's secular government was overthrown and she fled the country following a student-led uprising.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, who now heads the interim government, claims that reports of such attacks have been exaggerated.

Hindus constitute around 8% of Bangladesh's nearly 170 million population, with Muslims making up approximately 91%.

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, a prominent minority rights group, has alleged over 2,000 attacks on Hindus since August 4, as the interim government has faced challenges in re-establishing order.

The United Nations and other rights organisations have raised concerns about human rights in Bangladesh under Yunus's leadership. Hindu and other minority groups have voiced grievances that the interim administration has not provided adequate protection and that hard-line Islamist influence has increased since Hasina's ouster.

The situation has attracted international attention, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing alarm over the attacks.

The Biden administration has indicated it is closely monitoring human rights in Bangladesh since Hasina's departure, while U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump condemned what he called "barbaric" violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities in Bangladesh.

In a post on X, Trump stated: "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 holding rallies in the capital, Dhaka, and elsewhere since August to press for eight demands, including a law protecting minorities, a ministry dedicated to minority affairs, and a tribunal to address acts of oppression against minorities. They also called for a five-day public holiday for their major festival, Durga Puja.

Friday's protest in Chattogram was organised swiftly after sedition charges were filed on Wednesday against 19 Hindu leaders, including renowned priest Chandan Kumar Dhar, over an October 25 rally in the city. Police detained two of the leaders, sparking anger among Hindus.

The charges relate to an incident in which a rally participant allegedly raised a saffron flag above the Bangladesh flag on a pillar, an act perceived as disrespecting the national flag.

Hindu community leaders argue that the cases are politically motivated and demanded on Thursday that they be withdrawn within 72 hours. Another Hindu protest is scheduled for Saturday in Dhaka.

Separately, supporters of Hasina's Awami League party and the allied Jatiya Party have reported facing targeted attacks since Hasina's removal. The Jatiya Party headquarters was reportedly vandalised and set ablaze late on Thursday.

On Friday, Jatiya Party leader G.M. Quader stated his supporters would continue to hold rallies in defence of their rights, despite risking their safety. He announced a rally on Saturday at the party headquarters in Dhaka to protest against rising commodity prices and what they allege are false charges against their leaders and members.

Later that day, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police announced a ban on any rallies near the Jatiya Party's headquarters. Following the police decision, the party postponed their rally "to show respect to the law" and said a new date would be announced shortly.

The decision came after a student group sharply criticised the police for initially permitting the rally and threatened to obstruct it.