On Monday, a delegation comprising Hindus and other religious minorities from the US, Canada, the UK, and Europe held a press conference to call on India and other countries to intervene in the unfolding situation in Bangladesh. The Global Bengali Hindu Coalition, an umbrella organisation representing Bengali Hindus and other religious and ethnic minorities in Bangladesh, described the interim government led by Yunus as “illegal” and “jihadist,” accusing it of persecuting Bangladeshi Hindus.
Speakers at the press conference included Pushpita Gupta, Labour Party councillor for the London Borough of Redbridge and founder and president of the Secular Bangladesh Movement, UK. Gupta highlighted the plight of Bangladeshi expatriate Hindus and other religious minorities, urging global and Indian leadership to take decisive steps to protect these communities.
Sitangshu Guha, a US-based leader of the group, read out a five-point call for action on behalf of the delegation, seeking immediate intervention. The core appeals included the deployment of United Nations peacekeeping forces, establishing autonomous zones in Hindu-majority areas, completing the unfinished population exchange to ensure secure resettlement of displaced minorities, and reassessing peacekeeping contributions and UN sanctions based on compliance with UN standards of conduct.
Gupta also stressed the depletion of the Bangladeshi Hindu population since 1947, now just 7.95 percent, and highlighted incidents of violence targeting Hindu women. She criticized the lack of legal protection for Hindu and tribal minorities in Bangladesh, noting that while madrasas have been built, no temples have been established.
The delegation alleged that the persecution of Hindu minorities has intensified since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government on August 5. They reported increased incidents of desecration of Hindu places of worship and the release of individuals associated with militant activities by the interim government.
Sushanta Das Gupta, speaking on the delegation’s behalf, urged India to adopt a stance towards Dhaka similar to its approach towards Islamabad. He welcomed Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri’s visit to Dhaka but noted that little has changed on the ground. Das Gupta lamented that cases of atrocities and violence are not being reported in the English media, which has a larger global audience, and victims are unable to report crimes to the police for fear of reprisals from Islamist factions within the government.