Hindu groups protest in J&K over attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh

Several Hindu organisations, along with the BJP, on Monday staged protests in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district against alleged violence, killings and attacks on temples targeting the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh, citing recent incidents that have triggered widespread concern and outrage in India.

The protests, led by the Sanatan Dharm Sabha, coincided with a bandh in Kishtwar, during which shops and business establishments remained closed. Demonstrators gathered at Kuleed Chowk and sat on a dharna, alleging incidents of assault, arson, looting, desecration of temples and violence against Hindu women in Bangladesh.

The protest was led by Sanatan Dharm Sabha president Mahant Ram Sharan Dass Acharya, and was joined by Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Sunil Sharma and other senior BJP leaders. Addressing reporters, Sharma said Hindus across India stand firmly with members of their community in Bangladesh who, he alleged, are facing sustained persecution.

“Hindus are being attacked, temples are being attacked. A Hindu factory worker, Dipu, was brutally lynched to death,” Sharma said, referring to the recent killing of Dipu Das in Bangladesh, which has been widely cited by protestors as a trigger for demonstrations across several parts of India.

Protest leaders said their anger stems from recent reports of violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, including the lynching of Dipu Das earlier this month, alleged attacks on Hindu homes and businesses, and vandalism of temples amid political and social unrest in the neighbouring country. These incidents have led to protests and condemnations by Hindu organisations and political groups in multiple Indian states in recent weeks.

As part of Monday’s protest, demonstrators raised slogans, expressed solidarity with Bangladeshi Hindus and announced that they would submit a memorandum to the President of India, the Prime Minister, and the Union Ministers for Home and External Affairs, urging the Centre to intervene diplomatically to ensure the safety of Hindus in Bangladesh and protection of their properties and religious shrines.

Another protest leader, Rocky Goswami, said there was widespread anger over the killing of Dipu Das and other alleged attacks on minorities. “In protest against these incidents, a bandh has been called by the Sanatan Dharm Sabha in Kishtwar. Effigies symbolising Bangladesh were burned, and people have come out in large numbers to express their anger,” he said.

The protests reflect growing concern among Hindu organisations and political parties in India over the situation of minorities in Bangladesh, with demonstrators demanding stronger diplomatic engagement and international attention to what they describe as repeated acts of violence against Hindus.