A protest outside the Bangladesh High Commission in London, led by the Hindu community, was disrupted by Khalistanis on Saturday. The demonstration, organised by Bangladeshi-Hindus and British-Hindus, aimed to highlight the killings of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh and call for international attention to the escalating violence.
The protest, which sought to stand in solidarity with persecuted minorities, was met with anti-India slogans from the Khalistani group, which also waved Khalistani flags.
"It was shocking to see Khalistani extremists attempting to silence voices advocating for harmony and minority rights," said Manu Khajuria of the UK Insight group.
The London protest follows growing concerns over reports of targeted attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh, including the killing of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh this month.
Das, a 29-year-old garment factory worker, was lynched after allegations of blasphemy. His body was hung from a tree and burnt in full public view on December 18.
On Christmas Eve, another man, Amrit Mondal, was beaten to death by locals in Rajbari. Bangladeshi authorities, while condemning the incident, said the 29-year-old was a criminal who had entered the area to collect extortion money and clashed with residents.
India on Friday said the "unremitting hostilities" against minorities in Bangladesh are a matter of "grave concern" and demanded punishment for the perpetrators involved in the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das.
"The unremitting hostilities against the minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists, at the hands of extremists is a matter of grave concern," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters.
"We condemn the recent gruesome killing of a Hindu youth in Bangladesh and expect that the perpetrators of the crime would be brought to justice," he said at his weekly media briefing.
He said that over 2,900 incidents of violence against minorities, including cases of killings, arson, and land grabs, have been documented by independent sources during the tenure of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, which took oath on August 8 last year, three days after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign and flee to India.
"These incidents cannot be brushed aside as mere media exaggeration or dismissed as political violence," Jaiswal said.
