UK parliament raises concerns over attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh amid ongoing protests
An urgent question was tabled in the House of Commons by Labour MP Barry Gardiner on Bangladesh Hindus.
The echoes of the ongoing Hindu protests in Bangladesh after the arrest of an ISKCON priest have now reached the UK parliament where MPs have raised concerns over recent attacks on the minority community in the Muslim-dominated state.
For this purpose, an urgent question was tabled in the House of Commons by Labour MP Barry Gardiner on Monday.
On this, the Foreign Office Minister in charge of the Indo-Pacific, Catherine West said that she had been given assurances by the interim Muhammad Yunus in Bangladesh that support was available for minority communities.
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“We are aware of the statement of concern from the Indian government following the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a well-known Hindu leader, on sedition charges. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) desk is closely monitoring those developments,” said West.
“The UK government will continue to monitor the situation, including making representations from this House, and will engage with the interim government in Bangladesh on the importance of freedom of religion or belief specifically as it affects the Hindu community,” she added.
Reactions from UK MPs
The shadow foreign secretary, Conservative MP Priti Patel, noted that the degree of escalation in the violence is "deeply, deeply concerning".
Her party colleague and chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Hindus, Bob Blackman, echoed the concerns to highlight that “Hindus are suffering with their houses being burned and their businesses ransacked”.
Religious minorities are being deliberately persecuted because of their religion,” said Blackman, MP for Harrow East in London – another constituency with a large British Hindu population.
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Several other MPs raised concerns on behalf of their constituents with family in Bangladesh. British Sikh Labour MP Gurinder Singh Josan asserted that all communities were “appalled” at the situation and asked Minister Catherine West about the “engagement she has had with the UK’s Hindu and Bangladeshi communities on this issue”.
What is happening in Bangladesh?
Tension between India and Bangladesh has been on the rise since August 5, when deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India after her ouster.
The situation was aggravated further with ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu's arrest last week.
The Hindu community in Bangladesh has reportedly faced regular attacks on its members and places of worship during the widespread protests against Hasina's Awami League-led government over a controversial job quota system.
READ | ISKCON to observe prayers worldwide on December 1 amid attacks on Bangladesh Hindus
The attacks have continued even after Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel laureate, took over as the Chief Adviser of the interim government on August 8.
Chinmoy Krishna Das Parbhu's arrest
Hindu monk and former ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested in Bangladesh on sedition charges. However, he failed to get any relief as his bail hearing in a court was postponed due to the unavailability of any lawyer to represent him, reports said.
Hindu groups held protests in some areas of India on Monday against Bangladesh's arrest of Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das last week, and more than 50 protesters breached the Bangladeshi consulate in Tripura's capital Agartala, local media reported.
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