Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Hindus and UK Member of Parliament Bob Blackman has expressed concern in the House of Commons over the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.
During the Parliament session on Thursday, the MP for Harrow East in North London condemned the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh and the imprisonment of Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das.
He said Das is the spiritual leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), which runs the Bhaktivedanta Manor Temple in Elstree, Watford, one of Britain’s largest Hindu temples on the outskirts of London.
“(He) is under arrest in Bangladesh and Hindus are being killed all over Bangladesh, their houses and temples are being burnt,” Blackman told MPs.
“Today (Thursday) an attempt was made in the High Court of Bangladesh to pass a verdict that ISKCON should be banned from the country, which is a direct attack on Hindus. Now India has threatened to take action and it is our responsibility Because we have enabled Bangladesh will be free and independent,” he said.
The opposition Conservative Party MP stressed that it “cannot be acceptable that religious minorities are persecuted in this way” and called for freedom of religion to be preserved globally.
Lucy Powell, speaking on behalf of the UK, said, “We support freedom of religion or belief everywhere and that includes Bangladesh. I would certainly like to hear from Foreign Office ministers about what is happening to Hindus in Bangladesh. “I would ask you to come forward to give a statement on this.” Government as leader of the House of Commons.
Blackman’s intervention was welcomed by expatriate group Friends of India Society International (FISI) UK, which condemned a number of attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, including “arson, looting, theft, vandalism and desecration of temples and deities”.
This comes after a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called on Bangladeshi authorities to “ensure the safety of Hindus and all minorities, including the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression”.
The Ministry of External Affairs statement said: “We have expressed deep concern over the arrest and denial of bail to Shri Chinmoy Krishna Das, spokesperson of Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote. This incident comes in the wake of several attacks on Hindus and other minorities by extremist elements in Bangladesh. It happened later.
“There are many documented cases of arson and looting of houses and business establishments of minorities as well as theft and vandalism and desecration of deities and temples. It is unfortunate that while the perpetrators of these incidents are at large, charges have been brought against not one Religious leaders who presented legitimate demands through peaceful gatherings should be recognized. We also express concern over the attacks on minorities who were peacefully protesting against the arrest of Mr. Das.”
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