Bangladeshi Hindus protest on the streets of Dhaka against deliberate attacks on minorities

Hundreds of Hindus from Bangladesh took to the streets of Dhaka to protest against a wave of targeted attacks on them and vandalism of temples following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government this week amid vocal student protests. Videos on social media showed hundreds of people carrying placards demanding to “save” minorities, while slogans like “Who are we? Bengali, Bengali” rent the air.

Protesters appealed for peace as they blocked an intersection in the capital on Friday, chanting “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna.”

Hasina’s Awami League posted videos of the protests on its X portal, writing: “Bangladeshi Hindus took to the streets of Shahbagh, Dhaka, to protest against attacks on their lives, property and places of worship since August 5.”

Bangladesh has seen widespread looting of homes of Hindus, who make up about 8 percent of the country’s population, and attacks on temples after Hasina fled to India after weeks protests against the controversial quota system at work in government administration.

More than 230 people have been killed since the fall of the Awami League government on August 5.

During the riots, a teacher and two Hindu councillors were killed and at least 45 people were injured, Reuters reported. An ISKCON temple in Meherpur, located in Bangladesh’s Khulna division, was also vandalised and set on fire.

Hundreds of Hindus from Bangladesh have tried to enter India through the land border. India shares almost 4,096 km of land and river border with Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist and Christian Unity Council says at least 52 of the country’s 64 districts have been affected by social violenceThe council asked Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who took over as head of the transitional government on Thursday, to ensure the protection and well-being of minorities.

“There is deep anxiety, fear and uncertainty among minorities across the country,” the council wrote in an open letter on Friday.

In his first address to the nation on Thursday, Yunus warned that those spreading anarchy would have to face the full force of law enforcement.

The Indian government said the situation regarding minorities was worrying and said it was monitoring the situation. The MEA, in its weekly briefing on Thursday, said various initiatives had been taken by groups and organisations in Bangladesh to ensure protection of minorities.