‘Stop Attacks on Hindus’: 5-Member Monk Delegation Submits Memorandum To Bangladesh Mission

Kolkata: A five-member delegation of monks visited the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission on Wednesday to submit a memorandum calling for urgent action to halt atrocities against Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh. 

Kartik Maharaj, a member of the delegation, said that they had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting legal measures to ensure the safety and security of minorities in the neighboring country.

‘Bigger Protests Will Be Organised’ 

"Bigger protests will be organised in West Bengal if appropriate steps are not taken to ensure protection of the minorities in Bangladesh," Maharaj said.

‘Open Borders Between India and Bangladesh To Provide Shelter’ 

Maharaj said it was unacceptable that arrested Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das could not be represented by any lawyer in a Bangladesh court on Tuesday.

He demanded that the international border between India and Bangladesh be opened to provide shelter to those facing "religious persecution" in the neighboring country.

"There is a difference between infiltrators and refugees," Maharaj said.

Minority Hindus in Bangladesh, making up roughly 8% of the country's 170 million population, have endured over 200 attacks across more than 50 districts since the fall of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government on August 5.

Das, who was arrested on charges of sedition, was denied bail by a court. On Tuesday, a Bangladesh court postponed the hearing on Das's bail petition to January 2 of the following year, following a government request, as no lawyer appeared to represent him.

(With inputs from PTI)