British Hindus gathered outside the Houses of Parliament in London this week to protest against what they highlighted as the “systematic genocide and persecution of Hindus” in Bangladesh. The demonstration coincided with International Human Rights Day, which falls on December 10, underscoring their call for urgent global attention to this escalating crisis.
The protest came after reports of severe human rights abuses targeting the Hindu minority in Bangladesh, allegedly orchestrated by the country's current interim government. Nearly 500 people attended the protest outside the parliament with pictures of suffering Hindus and placards to highlight the systemic oppression of the community in Bangladesh including but not limited to:
Targeted killings and violence resulting in mass murder of the Hindu community.
Forced resignations of Hindus from private and public jobs.
Arrests of Hindu leaders on false charges and freezing their bank accounts.
Discrimination within the legal system and denying the right to fair trials to Hindus
Denial of privacy to Hindus by personal phone checks and suppression of free speech.
Fake social media posts falsely attributed to Hindus, inciting mob violence and accusations of blasphemy.
The diaspora groups expressed their deep concern of this grim picture of life for Hindus in Bangladesh, with reports of an environment of fear and the erosion of fundamental rights.
One of the key organisers, Dr Sukanto Maitro said the protest aims to amplify the voices of the minority and urged the global community to intervene.
“International Human Rights Day reminds us of our shared duty to stand against oppression. The silence around the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh is deafening. It’s time for the global community to act,” he said.
The protestors emphasised that the Hindu minority in Bangladesh has been facing decades of persecution, but the recent escalation of systemic violence and oppression has heightened the urgency for action. Protesters insisted that without any intervention, the global community risks further marginalisation and destruction of minorities in Bangladesh.
The protests in the UK follow strong condemnations within the House of Commons by parliamentarians from across parties earlier this month. Labour MP Barry Gardiner described the situation as being “clearly on a knife edge” in an Urgent Question as he raised concerns on behalf of the “large diaspora populations in the UK and large Hindu communities with strong links to the community in Bangladesh”.
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