London witnessed a significant protest today as hundreds of Indian and Bangladeshi diaspora members gathered to highlight the grievances of Hindus in Bangladesh and the ongoing human rights violations in the country.
The protest commenced near the iconic Big Ben and proceeded towards 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the British Prime Minister.
The participation in the protest was not limited to Hindus or Bangladeshis, but concerned people from all communities joined to voice their concerns over the recent political unrest in Bangladesh, which has led to severe human rights abuses. The spokesperson for the protestors emphasised that while the political turmoil is an internal matter for Bangladesh, the human rights violations are alarming and pose a grave threat to the relatives and friends of the protestors residing in Bangladesh.
Reports indicate numerous incidents where Hindu temples were desecrated, minority community members were subjected to lynching, rape, and arson. The spokesperson highlighted that extremist groups and certain Islamic terror organisations are exploiting the political instability to force minorities out of the country, reminiscent of the events of 1947 and 1971. The desecration of statues of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founder of Bangladesh, and Rabindranath Tagore, the writer of the national anthem, were cited as further evidence of extremists manipulating political issues, as idols are prohibited in Islamic states.
The team has further agendas like a Twitter space event (link) on 7th August, 5PM (UK time) with concerned citizens of UK & USA, media houses and a couple of UK MPs followed by Email / Letter campaigns to MPs requesting to take stern action.
The protest concluded peacefully with the release of a list of known victims and how they were attacked by extremist groups like Karim Gain’s followers in various parts of Bangladesh. There were resolute demands for the British government to intervene in mediating peace in Bangladesh, halt the minority persecution, and conduct a thorough investigation to identify and punish the perpetrators.