LONDON: UK shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel has called on the British government to intervene in the “increase in violence” in Bangladesh that has involved murders of Hindus and use its influence to bring about stability in the country.
The British Indian Opposition Conservative MP posted her letter to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on social media on Friday, which also calls upon the Labour Party government to make a statement on the issue in the House of Commons.
“The situation in Bangladesh is very concerning. Religious freedoms should be protected and the murders of Hindus and persecution taking place are wrong and must stop,” said Patel.
“The UK government must use its influence and convening powers to work to bring about stability in Bangladesh and a future where religious freedoms are protected and Hindus as safe,” she said.
In her letter to Cooper, the shadow minister points to reports of at least six Hindus being killed within an 18-day period in recent weeks.
“This level of persecution and violence is unacceptable… Given the increase in violence, can you advise what steps have been taken over the last year to monitor and make representations?
“Given the wider political situation in Bangladesh, what work is underway with partners in the region to use our diplomatic influence and convening powers to bring about stability in Bangladesh and respect and protections for minorities,” she questions in her letter.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has condemned a “disturbing pattern" of recurring attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.
We continue to witness a disturbing pattern of recurring attacks on minorities as well as their homes and businesses by extremists. Such communal incidents need to be dealt with swiftly and firmlyMEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal
“We have observed a troubling tendency to attribute such incidents to personal rivalries, political differences, or extraneous reasons. Such disregard only emboldens the perpetrators, and deepens the sense of fear and insecurity among minorities,” he said.
British Hindu groups led by the Bengali Hindu Adarsha Sangha (BHAS) UK have been coordinating protests in London against the attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.
“The minority communities of Bangladesh are facing long-standing concerns over discrimination, violence, murder and demographic decline,” BHAS UK said at a protest recently.
The protesters condemned the “unethical arrest of interfaith voice Chinmaya Prabhu and public lynching of Dipu Das by Islamic extremists”.
Chinmoy Krishna Das is a Hindu monk who was arrested in Bangladesh in 2024 on sedition charges.
Das, a 25-year-old garment factory worker, was lynched to death by a mob over alleged blasphemy in Mymensingh city on December 18 last year. His body was then set on fire.