A large crowd gathered outside the Parliament building in London on Saturday to protest against alleged violence against minority Hindus and other groups in Bangladesh following the resignation and departure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier this week.
The protesters carried Bangladeshi flags and held posters with messages such as “Protect our temples in Bangladesh”, “Hindu lives matter” and “We want justice.”
They raised slogans demanding peace and equality amid the recent surge in violence.
The protest included activists from various human rights organizations, members of the Bangladeshi diaspora, and Indian-American Hindu allies who stood in solidarity with the Hindu community of Bangladesh.
Unadi, a protester from Bangladesh, expressed concern over the helplessness of Bangladeshi Hindus and said that the majority population prevents them from speaking against injustice.
Unadi said, “Our country became independent in 1971 so that all communities could live peacefully. But now we are suffering from atrocities committed by the majority community.”
Comparing the situation in Bangladesh with other countries, he said that while governments across the world protect their minorities, the situation in Bangladesh is just the opposite, due to which many people are forced to flee the country.
He said, “The mindset of people has to change so that we can live peacefully. In such modern times, all communities should learn to co-exist peacefully. We are all equal.”
A protester from the Bengali Christian Association in Britain highlights the need for equal treatment of all communities.
She said, “I demand the interim government to amend the Constitution, as currently the Constitution states that Bangladesh is a Muslim country. However, all communities have fought for the independence of Bangladesh, so this country belongs to everyone.”
Another protester said that Bangladeshi minorities were being forced to flee because of the ongoing atrocities by the majority community.
He said, “We have gathered here because for the last five-six days people in Bangladesh are torturing and burning our houses. They cannot take away our country from us and also cannot deport us. We want to live safely and peacefully in our country. Violence against minorities must stop.”
Another protester said that his house in Bangladesh was looted and set on fire a few days ago.
He said, “My house was burnt. A few days ago some people looted our house.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
