Dhaka27 minutes ago
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Hindu Jagran Manch demonstrated in Dhaka against incidents of violence, looting and arson in Bangladesh. According to the Bengali newspaper Dhaka Tribune, thousands of Hindus gathered at Shahbagh Chowk on Friday evening and raised their voice against the violence.
Organisers of Hindu Jagran Manch said that four Hindu villages have been burnt down in Dinajpur. People have become helpless. They are forced to live in hiding. Attacks on the Hindu community have increased in Bangladesh ever since Sheikh Hasina left the country.
During the protest, the Hindu community demanded the establishment of a Minority Ministry, formation of a Minority Protection Commission, strict laws to prevent attacks against minorities and reservation of 10 per cent seats for minorities in Parliament.
The protesters also demanded compensation for those affected by the violence. Apart from this, they also demanded the reconstruction of the demolished temples. The protesters said that they were born in this country. This is the land of their ancestors. This country is equally theirs. Even if they are killed here, they will not leave their birthplace Bangladesh. They will stay on the streets to get their rights.
People associated with a Hindu organization demonstrating in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka on Friday.
Awami League also expressed concern
Since the violence in Bangladesh, thousands of Bangladeshi Hindus have reached the border to come to the neighboring country India. They are being persuaded and sent back. Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League has also expressed concern over the violence against Hindu citizens.
The party has written on social media that since August 5, Hindus in Bangladesh have been protesting against attacks on their fellow citizens, properties and temples.
Amid the ongoing violence against the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh, the spokesperson of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he is against any attack or violence on racial grounds. He appealed to calm the violence.
Hindus were attacked in 52 districts, protection sought from Mohammad Yunus
Bangladesh has a population of 17 crores, of which Hindus are about 7.95% (1.35 crores). Hinduism is the second largest religion in Bangladesh. A large population of Hindus lives in 61 out of 64 districts of the country. According to reports, Hindus in Bangladesh are considered supporters of Hasina’s party Awami League. This is the reason why they are now on target.
According to the Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist, Christian Unity Council, Hindus and their properties were targeted in 52 out of 64 districts of the country. The council has said that the minority population is forced to live in fear. They have demanded security and protection from government chief Mohammad Yunus.
Hindus and temples have been the target of fundamentalists in the past too
General elections were held in Bangladesh on 7 January 2024. Minorities voted for Sheikh Hasina’s party Awami League. However, attacks on minorities started after the elections and the Sheikh Hasina government could not stop them. Minority organizations claimed that at least 3 attacks are taking place every month.
After Sheikh Hasina took oath as the PM of Bangladesh for the 5th time, there were attacks on Hindus in 6 districts of Bangladesh, Kushtia, Bagerhat, Jhenaidah, Gaibandha, Chittagong and Sylhet.
The population of Hindus is decreasing in Bangladesh
- According to the 2011 census, the Hindu population in Bangladesh, which has a population of 16.5 crore, is 8.5%, while the Muslim population is more than 90%. In Bangladesh, both Muslims and Hindus are mainly Bengali, that is, they have similarities in language and culture. There is a distance between them due to religion, which the fundamentalists take advantage of.
- According to the data of the Bangladesh government, the population of Hindus in Bangladesh was 13.5% in the 1980s. Bangladesh became East Pakistan in 1947 after the independence of India and Pakistan. At that time, the population of Hindus there was about 30%.
- In about four decades, the population of Hindus in Bangladesh has declined from 13.5% to 8.5%. According to the 2011 census data of the Bangladeshi government, the number of Hindus decreased by at least 1 million in a decade.
- According to a report, Dhaka University economist and professor Abdul Barkat found in his study that in the last few years, about 750 Hindus are migrating from Bangladesh every day due to security and economic reasons. Most of these Hindus try to come to India.
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