New Delhi: An estimated seven lakh Hindus took to the streets in Bangladesh on Saturday to protest against ongoing attacks on the minority community following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and escape to India.
The country’s capital Dhaka and second-largest city Chittagong, along with other towns, saw massive rallies as their patience ran out, prompting interim head of government Muhammad Yunus to call all Bangladeshis to come together in the name of “national unity.”
The Hindu demonstrators, in a show of great strength, blocked traffic for over three hours at Shahbagh, in central Dhaka, as they demanded special tribunals to expedite trials of those who persecute the minorities, allocation of 10 per cent Parliamentary seats for the minorities and enactment of a minority protection law.
Thousands of Muslim protestors, including students, joined the rally to express their solidarity for the cause of minorities.
Chittagong saw a huge gathering at the historic Cheragi Pahar Square.
Amid the anarchy and widespread violence in the name of protests, minority communities in Bangladesh have been the target of over 205 incidents of attacks across 52 districts since the fall of Hasina-led government on August 5.
Homes, workplaces of Hindus have been under attack, killing dozens and injuring hundreds of people.
A number of Hindu temples have been vandalised and a couple of Hindu leaders of Hasina’s Awami League party have been killed in the violence.
Thousands of Bangladeshi Hindus have been trying to flee to neighbouring India to save themselves from the violence.
In an effort to calm down the volatile situation, Yunus urged citizens to protect all minority communities such as Hindus, Christians and Buddhists.
“Are they not the people of this country? You have been able to save the country, can’t you save some families? You must say – no one can harm them. They are my brothers; we fought together, and we will stay together,” the 84-year-old Nobel Laureate appealed.
