Punjab BJP leader alleges failure of Bangladesh govt to protect Hindus

Chandigarh, Jan 6 (PTI) Punjab BJP Scheduled Caste Morcha vice president Paramjit Singh Kainth on Tuesday alleged that the Bangladesh government has failed to stop repeated lynchings, murders and targeted attacks against Hindus over the past one-and-a-half months.

Raising questions over the situation, Kainth asked why swift justice or strong deterrent action was not visible in the recent killings of Hindu citizens and why targeted violence continued despite repeated assurances by the interim government of Bangladesh led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.

Expressing anguish over the incidents, he said the attacks appeared to be a part of a pattern of targeted persecution rather than isolated crimes.

He alleged that the frequency of such incidents reflected serious administrative failure.

Kainth cited the lynching of 27-year-old Deepu Chandra Das in December after allegations of blasphemy. He claimed that the allegations were later found to be false.

He also referred to the killing of a 50-year-old Hindu businessman, Khokan Chandra Das, in Shariatpur district, who was stabbed and set on fire on December 31. He later died of his injuries.

Kainth further mentioned the murder of a Hindu grocery shopkeeper in Narsingdi district and the killing of a Hindu journalist and factory owner in Jashore, stating that at least six Hindus had been killed within less than three weeks.

The BJP leader also drew attention to crimes against Hindu women, citing an incident in which a Hindu widow was allegedly tied to a tree, beaten, raped and publicly humiliated.

Kainth said there was little public information on arrests, chargesheets or convictions in these cases and questioned the lack of district-wise data on communal violence.

He added that continued violence was contributing to fear, displacement and a decline in the Hindu population in Bangladesh.

The BJP leader demanded time-bound investigations, speedy prosecution in all recent cases and immediate security measures for sensitive Hindu localities and places of worship.

Kainth also urged the government of India and international human rights organisations to maintain sustained diplomatic pressure and monitoring, saying repeated targeted violence against a religious minority was a serious human rights concern. PTI VSD KSS KSS KSS