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‘Hindus being murdered, temples being burnt’: UK MP flags Bangladesh violence in British parl, wants govt to push Yunus
Bob Blackman says Bangladesh elections scheduled for Feb 12 set to be held when there are concerns around ousted Sheikh Hasina's party having been banned
A prominent opposition leader in the UK, Conservative Party MP Bob Blackman, has cited violence against Hindus in Bangladesh to call upon the Labour government to push Mohammad Yunus's regime to pledge to safeguarding minorities and ensuring fair and inclusive elections.
Speaking in the British Parliament, Blackman underlined that the elections scheduled for February 12 are set to be held when there are democratic concerns around ousted ex-PM Sheikh Hasina's Awami League having been banned altogether. He also spoke against the purported rise of Islamist forces.
"Hindu men are being murdered on the streets; their houses are being burnt; the temples are being burnt; and other religious minorities are suffering similar fates," he said.
"Next month, there are due to be so-called free and fair elections. The Awami League, which is a major political party in Bangladesh, is banned from competing in those elections, despite commanding about 30 per cent in the opinion polls. Equally, the Islamic extremists have called for a referendum which would change the constitution of Bangladesh forever," he further said.
Thus, he demanded, that the UK foreign secretary issue a statement on what action the Labour government will take to safeguard minorities and ensure free, fair, and inclusive elections in Bangladesh, which saw a Hasina being ousted in violent protests last year. Yunus, a Nobel laureate, heads and interim regime supported by the army since. Hasina is living in exile in India while a court in Bangladesh has sentenced her to death over “crimes against humanity”.
Blackman was among four UK MPs who expressed serious concerns recently about the ban on Awami league and other widely supported parties. The joint statement was signed by Jim Shannon, Jas Athwal and Chris Law, besides Blackman.
India has already spoken on the recurring attacks against minorities in Bangladesh, highlighting the need to deal with these incidents "swiftly and firmly".
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal made the remarks during the weekly press briefing, responding to a query on the issue.
"We continue to witness a disturbing pattern of recurring attacks on minorities as well as their homes and businesses by extremists in Bangladesh. Such communal incidents need to be dealt with swiftly and firmly," Jaiswal said.
Bob Blackman has long-standing stances on South Asian matters. Earlier this month, he reasserted his support for India’s position on Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that the entire region should be with India, decrying Pakistan's occupation. He also recalled that his call for the abrogation of Article 370, done by the Narendra Modi regime in 2019, dates back more than three decades.
