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Protesters in Canada call out violent attacks on minorities in Bangladesh
The protest on Saturday was organised by the group Bangladeshi-Canadian Hindus. They also called upon Ottawa to practice “conditional diplomacy” with Dhaka, tying aid, trade and international cooperation to “verified steps protecting religious minorities”
Toronto: Disappointed at the inability of Bangladesh’s chief adviser Muhammad Yunus in preventing continuing violence targeted at minorities, the diaspora community in Canada has called upon the government for action.
Several members of Bangladeshi minority groups staged a large protest in downtown Toronto on Saturday and called for Ottawa to issue a public condemnation of targeted violence against minorities particularly incidents of rape, demolition of temples and mob attacks.
“Immediate action is essential to prevent further escalation and to safeguard the fundamental rights of Hindus, Christians and Buddhists in Bangladesh,” they said.
The protest on Saturday was organised by the group Bangladeshi-Canadian Hindus. They also called upon Ottawa to practice “conditional diplomacy” with Dhaka, tying aid, trade and international cooperation to “verified steps protecting religious minorities”.
The protest came ahead of the one-year anniversary of the resignation of then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India, where she remains. She was replaced by Yunus, who was expected to play an interim role towards ensuring early democratic election as well ensuring the protection of vulnerable groups in the country. However, protesters demanded his resignation over his failure to defend the human rights of minorities in the country.
Among the protestors was Greater Toronto Area (GTA) resident Sheuli Sikdar, who said, “Before, I liked him. He is a highly educated person, winner of the Nobel Prize. I personally had faith in him. But, since he is there, he is not caring at all about what is happening outside of his office.”
Protesters were hopeful that MPs will sponsor a motion condemning the targeted violence in Bangladesh when the House of Commons convenes again after the summer vacation.
Representatives of Bangladeshi minorities have also sought meetings with senior Canadian officials to apprise them of steps required to mitigate their distress, including allowing for refugee sponsorship of immediate family members impacted by ongoing persecution..
The protest note handed out to passersby on Saturday stated that over 2,000 attacks, including arson, vandalism, rape and murder, have been documented across over 40 districts of Bangladesh and this has “resulted in over 11 months of relentless attacks, with no sign of relief for the victims”.
