Bangladesh Hindu Jagran Manch, a platform that advocates for the rights of Hindus, staged a demonstration in the capital’s Shahbagh on Friday, protesting what it described as brutal torture of Hindus, vandalism and arson at their holy places, land grabbing and other atrocities taking place in the country.
They blocked the intersection on Friday (September 13) afternoon resulting in traffic coming to a standstill in the area. Later, police were deployed there to prevent any untoward incident.
From the demonstration, the protesters demanded immediate implementation of the 8-point demand they placed previously, alleging that the government didn’t take any effective action to realise their demands.
Their major demands are: Create a minority protection committee, a ministry for the members of minority communities, increase Puja leaves, digitalize Pali and Sanskrit Education board, allocate prayer rooms in the halls and hostels of educational institutes and dormitories, and to form a Hindu Foundation.
They said that as the days go by, attacks on minorities are increasing in a planned way. Attack on Utsab Mandal in Khulna, attack on Ganesh Idol in Chittagong, Thakurgaon, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Mymensingh are the recent examples.
On September 12, at around 2 pm, a temple and house were attacked on Sutrapur Hrishikesh Das Road in the capital, they added.
Nirjon Mondal, who came to Dhaka to join today’s demonstration from Pirojpur, said that the Sanatani people (Hindus) have always been oppressed under all governments. “I was tortured during Awami League and I am still being tortured. A few days ago, when we protested, the interim government assured us, but no action has been taken so far.”
However, the protesters demanded to implement their eight-point demands shortly and brought the attackers to justice.
Meanwhile, thousands of protesters from Chattogram took to the streets on Friday expressing their solidarity with Bangladesh Hindu Jagran Manch in Dhaka.