٠٠:٠٤:٣١Hundreds of protesters rallied in New Delhi on Friday, to demand security for the Hindu community in Bangladesh and diplomatic action in response to violence against them amid ongoing unrest in Dhaka.
Footage shows the protesters marching, holding flags and placards calling for an end to violence against Hindus, some of which read 'Save Bangladeshi Minorities' and 'Minority Live Matter'. Another banner gave statistics showing the rising Muslim population and declining Hindu population in Bangladesh over the past 73 years.
"Hindus all over the world are being killed systematically," said Richa Pandey Mishra, President of Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Women's Wing. "Hindus and especially Hindu women condemn the barbaric murders and molestation, rapes of Hindu women, killings of Hindu brothers. This is not acceptable," she added.
"Minorities in India are safe, but radical Islam is not giving space to anyone, in the other countries they are trying their hand in India also and they are unsuccessful, but in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan and other countries, they are on a killing spree of Hindus, because they believe that it is only Islam which will flourish," she explained.
According to reports, Bangladesh's minority Hindu community, around 8 per cent of the country's 170 million people, have historically backed former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party. Violent clashes between student-led protest groups and security forces in Dhaka in recent weeks led to Hasina resigning and fleeing to Delhi. Hasina's Awami League party was ousted and replaced by an interim government, fueling anger among India's 80 per cent Hindu majority.
"We want to show the society that Hinduism is the most assimilative religion," said activist Dr Mantha Thare, who said this resulted in 'atrocities in Pakistan' which caused the Hindu population there to drop 'from 15 per cent to 1 per cent'. "We reduced from 15 per cent to 8 per cent in Bangladesh and now facing again atrocity in Bangladesh. If we are not going to support our brothers and sisters of Bangladesh, then who will save us in India?" she added.
She noted that while the Indian government has maintained good relations with Bangladesh in the past, the recent change in leadership in Dhaka calls for increased pressure on the new administration.
"Now it is our responsibility and our government to save the Hindus of Bangladesh," Thare added.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council reports that sectarian violence has impacted at least 52 of the country's 64 districts since August 5.
Demonstrations by supporters of Hasina and the Awami League party in Dhaka began the day after Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as head of the interim government. On Thursday, hundreds of student protesters attacked one such protest. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the ongoing violence, while welcoming efforts made by the interim government to restore peace and move towards elections and urging it to ensure that women and minority communities are included.
The dissolution of the former British Raj in 1947 saw the area divided into the broadly Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan, displacing around 15 million people, with up to 1 million believed to have been killed in sectarian violence. Bangladesh later seceded from Pakistan in 1971.
'Condemn the barbaric murders' - Rally in Delhi demands action over sectarian 'atrocities' in Bangladesh around ouster of former PM Hasina
Hundreds of protesters rallied in New Delhi on Friday, to demand security for the Hindu community in Bangladesh and diplomatic action in response to violence against them amid ongoing unrest in Dhaka.
Footage shows the protesters marching, holding flags and placards calling for an end to violence against Hindus, some of which read 'Save Bangladeshi Minorities' and 'Minority Live Matter'. Another banner gave statistics showing the rising Muslim population and declining Hindu population in Bangladesh over the past 73 years.
"Hindus all over the world are being killed systematically," said Richa Pandey Mishra, President of Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Women's Wing. "Hindus and especially Hindu women condemn the barbaric murders and molestation, rapes of Hindu women, killings of Hindu brothers. This is not acceptable," she added.
"Minorities in India are safe, but radical Islam is not giving space to anyone, in the other countries they are trying their hand in India also and they are unsuccessful, but in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan and other countries, they are on a killing spree of Hindus, because they believe that it is only Islam which will flourish," she explained.
According to reports, Bangladesh's minority Hindu community, around 8 per cent of the country's 170 million people, have historically backed former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party. Violent clashes between student-led protest groups and security forces in Dhaka in recent weeks led to Hasina resigning and fleeing to Delhi. Hasina's Awami League party was ousted and replaced by an interim government, fueling anger among India's 80 per cent Hindu majority.
"We want to show the society that Hinduism is the most assimilative religion," said activist Dr Mantha Thare, who said this resulted in 'atrocities in Pakistan' which caused the Hindu population there to drop 'from 15 per cent to 1 per cent'. "We reduced from 15 per cent to 8 per cent in Bangladesh and now facing again atrocity in Bangladesh. If we are not going to support our brothers and sisters of Bangladesh, then who will save us in India?" she added.
She noted that while the Indian government has maintained good relations with Bangladesh in the past, the recent change in leadership in Dhaka calls for increased pressure on the new administration.
"Now it is our responsibility and our government to save the Hindus of Bangladesh," Thare added.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council reports that sectarian violence has impacted at least 52 of the country's 64 districts since August 5.
Demonstrations by supporters of Hasina and the Awami League party in Dhaka began the day after Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as head of the interim government. On Thursday, hundreds of student protesters attacked one such protest. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the ongoing violence, while welcoming efforts made by the interim government to restore peace and move towards elections and urging it to ensure that women and minority communities are included.
The dissolution of the former British Raj in 1947 saw the area divided into the broadly Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan, displacing around 15 million people, with up to 1 million believed to have been killed in sectarian violence. Bangladesh later seceded from Pakistan in 1971.
Hundreds of protesters rallied in New Delhi on Friday, to demand security for the Hindu community in Bangladesh and diplomatic action in response to violence against them amid ongoing unrest in Dhaka.
Footage shows the protesters marching, holding flags and placards calling for an end to violence against Hindus, some of which read 'Save Bangladeshi Minorities' and 'Minority Live Matter'. Another banner gave statistics showing the rising Muslim population and declining Hindu population in Bangladesh over the past 73 years.
"Hindus all over the world are being killed systematically," said Richa Pandey Mishra, President of Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Women's Wing. "Hindus and especially Hindu women condemn the barbaric murders and molestation, rapes of Hindu women, killings of Hindu brothers. This is not acceptable," she added.
"Minorities in India are safe, but radical Islam is not giving space to anyone, in the other countries they are trying their hand in India also and they are unsuccessful, but in countries like Bangladesh and Pakistan and other countries, they are on a killing spree of Hindus, because they believe that it is only Islam which will flourish," she explained.
According to reports, Bangladesh's minority Hindu community, around 8 per cent of the country's 170 million people, have historically backed former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party. Violent clashes between student-led protest groups and security forces in Dhaka in recent weeks led to Hasina resigning and fleeing to Delhi. Hasina's Awami League party was ousted and replaced by an interim government, fueling anger among India's 80 per cent Hindu majority.
"We want to show the society that Hinduism is the most assimilative religion," said activist Dr Mantha Thare, who said this resulted in 'atrocities in Pakistan' which caused the Hindu population there to drop 'from 15 per cent to 1 per cent'. "We reduced from 15 per cent to 8 per cent in Bangladesh and now facing again atrocity in Bangladesh. If we are not going to support our brothers and sisters of Bangladesh, then who will save us in India?" she added.
She noted that while the Indian government has maintained good relations with Bangladesh in the past, the recent change in leadership in Dhaka calls for increased pressure on the new administration.
"Now it is our responsibility and our government to save the Hindus of Bangladesh," Thare added.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council reports that sectarian violence has impacted at least 52 of the country's 64 districts since August 5.
Demonstrations by supporters of Hasina and the Awami League party in Dhaka began the day after Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as head of the interim government. On Thursday, hundreds of student protesters attacked one such protest. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the ongoing violence, while welcoming efforts made by the interim government to restore peace and move towards elections and urging it to ensure that women and minority communities are included.
The dissolution of the former British Raj in 1947 saw the area divided into the broadly Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan, displacing around 15 million people, with up to 1 million believed to have been killed in sectarian violence. Bangladesh later seceded from Pakistan in 1971.