According to a report by The Times of India, thousands of Hindus gathered on Friday in Bangladesh’s commercial center of Chattogram and capital city of Dhaka to demand immediate action against attacks on their community that have occurred after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was removed on August 5.
Signs seeking prompt justice through a fast-track tribunal for those responsible for the assaults were carried by protesters in Chattogram and Dhaka. This protest came after Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus encouraged the country to preserve religious unity in a televised speech.
The demonstrators in Chattogram demanded the creation of a special ministry for minority affairs, the allocation of minority-only seats, and a meeting invitation for student protest coordinators to convene with them in a fortnight. According to the report, they connected the protests to the recent overthrow of the Hasina-led administration and her subsequent flight to India.
The demonstrators promised not to go home until their demands—which included victim rehabilitation and compensation—were satisfied. In response to targeted killings, looting, and property destruction, they also demanded the creation of a new minority protection law. As to the report, the demonstrators denied functioning as anyone’s “agent” and claimed that the word is frequently used to malign minority who stand up for their rights.
Protesters, some of whom were female, gathered in Chattogram’s Jamal Khan neighborhood to highlight their commitment to stay in their own Bangladesh and to identify as “Bangali” people. A few expressed dissatisfaction with the way the media depicted their situation and urged authorities to take notice of the reports from Bangladesh daily Prothom Alo regarding the attacks on minorities.
Around 430 PM on Friday, demonstrators in Dhaka occupied the Shahbag crossroads, causing traffic disruptions. According to the article, a coalition of Hindu groups called the Sanatani Odhikar Andolan organized the protest, which was observed by security authorities.
According to the study, the Paris-based Justice Makers Bangladesh (JMBF) condemned the demolition of houses, businesses, and places of worship as grave abuses of human rights and expressed grave worry about the recent attacks on minorities.
Students’ demonstrations and Sheikh Hasina’s departure
Protests by students in May of this year resulted in calls for Sheikh Hasina’s resignation as they demanded changes to government job quotas that favored the families of independence fighters. As the disturbance grew more intense, the military intervened and Sheikh Hasina was given a 45-minute ultimatum, which ultimately led to her resignation.
Bangladesh crisis: Hindus protest over demand for new minority law, justice | World News
