'Stop atrocities on Hindus': Monks submit memorandum to Bangladesh mission, urge PM Modi to take legal steps

By Sunita Iyer | First Published Dec 4, 2024, 5:46 PM IST

Kartik Maharaj, a member of the delegation, stated that they had also sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to take legal measures to guarantee the safety and security of minorities in Bangladesh.

A five-member delegation of monks visited the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata on Wednesday to submit a memorandum demanding immediate action to end the atrocities against Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh.

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

The monks emphasized their demand for justice for all religious minorities in Bangladesh, insisting that they should not suffer oppression or attacks.

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Maharaj expressed outrage over the fact that Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested, could not have legal representation in a Bangladesh court on Tuesday.

He also called for the opening of the international border between India and Bangladesh to offer refuge to those fleeing religious persecution in the neighboring country.

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

Bangladesh's Hindu minority, which makes up around 8 percent of the country's 170 million population, has been the target of more than 200 attacks across 50 districts since the fall of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government on August 5.

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

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