Bangladesh crisis: Bajrang Dal members protest in Jammu against ‘attacks’ on Hindus

JAMMU: The Bajrang Dal held a protest in Jammu on Wednesday to demand protection for Hindus in Bangladesh following allegations of targeted violence against them since Sheikh Hasina’s resignation as prime minister.

Temples, home and businesses belonging to Hindus were vandalised. Women were harassed and two Hindu leaders were killed in Bangladesh, the organisation’s chief Rakesh Kumar told reporters.

“Hindus are being targeted under a conspiracy in 27 districts. The Jamaat is involved in attacking the homes, temples and the Hindu community,” he alleged.

Rashtriya Bajrang Dal activists burnt an effigy of communal leaders in Bangladesh and raised slogans against them.

Kumar also demanded the removal of Bangladeshi and Rohingya settlers in India, particularly from Jammu and Kashmir.

The attack on Hindus is a “conspiracy”. The population of the community has fallen from 32 per cent to eight per cent now, he claimed.

The government must take concrete steps for the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh, he said.

Hasina resigned as prime minister and arrived in India on Monday following unprecedented anti-government protests.

The protests, which began initially with the demand to end a quota system that reserved 30 per cent of government jobs for families of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence, later turned into anti-government demonstrations.