Religious Minorities

Bangladesh rejects India's allegation over Hindu community leader's death

Bangladesh has rejected New Delhi's charge that the recent killing of a Hindu leader was part of a pattern of systematic persecution of minorities in that country. Body of Hindu community leader Bhabesh Chandra Roy, 58, a resident of Basudebpur village of Dinajpur district in north Bangladesh, was recovered on Thursday night. His son has claimed Roy was allegedly abducted from his home in the village, about 330 kilometres northwest of Dhaka, and beaten to death. It is unfortunate that the death of Mr Bhabesh Chandra Roy has been described as part of a 'pattern of systematic persecution' of Hindu minorities under the interim government, interim government chief Muhammad Yunus' press secretary Shafiqul Alam told the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) news agency late Monday. Alam, who is currently accompanying Yunus to an international conference in Qatar, said Bangladesh is not a country where one would find government-sponsored systematic discrimination against ...

Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 passed in Lok Sabha: Here's all you need to know

The Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2025 was passed after amendments proposed by opposition members were rejected through voice votes. It was cleared by a division of votes, with 288 in favour and 232 against

US imposes sanctions on Thai officials after Uyghur men deported to China

The US State Department on Friday announced sanctions on an unknown number of current and former Thai officials for their role in deporting at least 40 Uyghur men to China despite worries that they could be jailed or even face death there. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was immediately moving to impose visa restrictions on current and former officials responsible for or complicit in the deportations. No Thai official has been named. The visa restrictions were not explained but can entail a denial of entry to the US. We are committed to combating China's efforts to pressure governments to forcibly return Uyghurs and other groups to China, where they are subject to torture and enforced disappearances, Rubio said in a statement. The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday said it had multiple times clarified with countries that have conveyed their concerns over the safety of the men that China assured that they would be unharmed, and that Thailand would follow up on their

Minorities in India are 'luckiest' people, says Union minister Kiren Rijiju

Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Thursday stated that minorities in India are the "luckiest people", as the country provides exclusive schemes and welfare programmes for them, unlike anywhere else in the world. Addressing the regional review meeting and training workshop on the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) for the states and union territories of the Southern Region here, he alleged that some people are pushing a false narrative suggesting that minorities are unsafe in India. "There are people who are creating some of the false narratives that minorities are not safe in India, some people keep spreading the message that there is discrimination against the minority communities, which is completely false," he said. "On the contrary, minorities are the luckiest people in India because other schemes are available for minority communities, and there are separate schemes and special programmes for them. No where in the world is the

Pak govt unveils 1 bn PKR master plan for renovation of temples, gurdwaras

The Pakistani government has prepared a 'master plan' for the renovation and beautifying of temples and gurdwaras in the country at a cost of PKR 1 billion. The decision was taken on Saturday in a meeting of the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) here under its chief Syed Attaur Rehman. "Under a master plan, temples and gurudwaras will be decorated and development works will be done with a budget of PKR 1bn," said Rehman. "A huge amount of money is being spent on minority places of worship," he added. Rehman also said the ETPB received more than Rs 1 billion in revenue this year. The meeting was attended by members of the Hindu and Sikh communities from all over the country, as well as government and non-government members. Speaking about the ETPB development scheme that needs to be revised, board secretary Farid Iqbal told the members that after changing the scheme to increase the department's income, the trust properties are now being presented for development. "The departmen

SC defers hearing in Places of Worship Act to first week of April

CJI Sanjiv Khanna also took exception to many intervention applications being filed in the case and said there should be a limit to such applications

Deaths of 23 Hindus, 152 attacks on temples in B'desh cited since Aug: Govt

Since August, reports have cited deaths of 23 Hindus and 152 incidents of attack on Hindu temples in Bangladesh, the government said on Friday. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh in a written response to a query in the Lok Sabha also said "during the last two months (November 26, 2024 till January 25, 2025), 76 cases of incidents of attacks against Hindus have been reported in Bangladesh". The government was asked about the details of cases of harassment caused to Hindus in Bangladesh reported during the last two months; the number of Hindu people who have been injured or died along with the number of attacks on Hindu temples in Bangladesh. "Since August reports have cited deaths of 23 Hindus and 152 incidents of attack on Hindu temples in Bangladesh," he said in his response. The Government of India has taken note of the incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh and shared its concerns with the government of Bangladesh, the ..

Protect religious minorities: Bangladesh's Yunus asks security chiefs

Noting that Bangladesh's country's global image "will be badly damaged" if it fails to protect its religious minorities, Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus on Monday ordered security chiefs to take special measures to prevent attacks on them and safeguard the rights of every citizen. Yunus gave the instructions while reviewing the law and order situation at a high-level meeting with security chiefs here, The Daily Star newspaper reported. He directed police and law enforcement agencies to set up a command centre to intensively monitor the law and order situation in the country. "We have to set up a command centre or a command headquarters, which will coordinate among all police and security agencies," the Chief Adviser told senior security officials. He said the security agencies must ensure maximum use of the latest communication tools to make sure they can quickly intervene in any situation. "Our global image will be badly damaged if we can't protect our religious minorities. We must

Bangladeshi Americans urge Trump to protect minorities in their country

Describing the ongoing atrocities against religious and ethnic minorities in Bangladesh as an existential threat from Islamist forces, a coalition of Bangladeshi American Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians has urged President-elect Donald Trump to intervene and help protect minority communities in the country. Urging Trump to secure the immediate release of monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, who they said has been falsely imprisoned on sedition charges, the group on Sunday said Bangladesh risks descending into radicalisation, which could have far-reaching effects not only for South Asia but for the rest of the world as well. Das, a former ISKCON leader, was arrested at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on November 25. A court in Chattogram sent him to jail, rejecting his bail petition as he was accused of a sedition charge for allegedly disrespecting the country's flag. The hearing in the case will be held on January 2, 2025. In a memorandum addressed to Trump, the group ...

Minority organisation in B'desh demands release of arrested Hindu monk

A minority group in Bangladesh on Sunday called for the "immediate release" of Chinmoy Krishna Das, asserting that the case against the arrested Hindu monk is "false" and "harassing", according to a media report. Das, a former ISKCON leader, was arrested at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on November 25. A court in Chattogram sent him to jail, rejecting his bail petition as he was accused of a sedition charge for allegedly disrespecting the country's flag. The hearing in the case will be held on January 2, 2025. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCOP) released a statement demanding his immediate release, the Prothom Alo news portal reported. Signed by the BHBCOP's acting General Secretary Manindra Kumar Nath, the statement said that the sedition case filed against 19 people, including Das, was false and harassing. It called for the release of all those arrested in the case, according to the report. Ties between New Delhi and Dhaka have ..

2024 sees 2,200 cases of Hindu violence in Bangladesh, 112 in Pak: MEA

The Indian government has raised concerns and urged both countries to take action to protect their minority communities

US envoy Garcetti reaffirms commitment to safeguard religious minorities

He added that religious minorities must be safeguarded regardless of their country of residence

Bangladesh court keeps bail plea, denies early hearing for Chinmoy Das

Chinmoy's lawyer Rabindra Ghosh expressed disappointment and said that he is considering to move the bail prayer to the High Court

Australian police launch operation, probe increased antisemitic attacks

Australian federal police launched a special operation to investigate an increase in antisemitic threats and violence since the war between Israel and Hamas began last year. Jewish leaders say prejudice against their community has reached unprecedented levels, with most incidents reported in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's largest cities where 85 per cent of the nation's Jewish population live. Almost 1,17,000 Jewish people live in Australia, according to the last census in 2021, or 0.46 per cent of the 25.4 million residents. The government says only Israel is home to more Holocaust survivors than Australia on a per capita basis. Here's a look at some of the main cases investigated by Special Operation Avalite: Dec. 11: Antisemitic graffiti attacks in the eastern Sydney suburb of Woollahra Police are looking for two male suspects, estimated to be aged between 15 and 20, seen running from Magney St in Woollahra when a car fire was reported at 1 am. Two cars including the one th

Protest rally held in J-K's Samba against attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh

People from different faiths held a rally in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district on Monday to protest the attacks on Hindus and their temples in Bangladesh and called on the Centre to intervene. Carrying the Tricolour, religious flags and placards, members of Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities and MLA Surjeet Singh Salathia took part in the rally. They urged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government to ensure the safety of Hindus, a minority in Bangladesh. "The civil society took out a protest rally against violent attacks on Hindus and their temples. People from various communities, including Hindu, Sikh and Jain, participated in the protest against Bangladesh for what is happening there," said a protester Suraj Singh. He said the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh are increasing day by day while the world remains a mute spectator. "We cannot tolerate such mayhem against the community there. The prime minister and the government of India should intervene further and ensure it is

Iskcon Namhatta centre in Bangladesh burnt down, says Radharaman Das

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) on Saturday alleged that its centre in Dhaka district in neighbouring Bangladesh was burnt down earlier in the day. Iskcon Kolkata vice president Radharamn Das told PTI that the targetted attack on members of the community and members of the Vaishnavite order goes on unabated as "vandals set ablaze idols inside the temple at the Namhatta property." He said in a post on X handle, "ISKCON Namhatta Centre burned down in Bangladesh. The deities of Sri Sri Laxmi Narayan and all items inside the temple were burned down completely The centre is located in Dhaka. Early morning today, between 2-3 AM, miscreants set fire to the Shri Shri Radha Krishna Temple and the Shri Shri Mahabhagya Lakshmi Narayan Temple, which fall under the Hare Krishna Namhatta Sangha, located in Dhour village, under the jurisdiction of Turag Police Station, Dhaka district." "The fire was initiated by lifting the tin roof at the back of the temple and using

US Congressman Krishnamoorthi calls on B'desh to end anti-Hindu violence

He urged the Bangladeshi government to uphold human rights, guarantee legal protections, and end the wave of violence

Bangladesh summons Kolkata mission head for consultations amid protests

Bangladesh has summoned Shikder Mohammad Ashrafur Rahman, the Acting Deputy High Commissioner in Kolkata, for urgent consultations following protests over attacks on Hindu minorities. Rahman, who is also Minister - Political Affairs, stationed in Kolkata, has returned to Dhaka. Ashrafur Rahman was called for urgent consultations following ongoing protests outside our mission in Kolkata. Additionally, he will be part of the delegation during the foreign secretary-level talks between the two countries slated for next week. He will be back by the middle of this month, a senior official of the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata told PTI on condition of anonymity. The mission in Kolkata has witnessed multiple protests over the past week by political parties and religious groups condemning the reported atrocities against Hindus minorities in Bangladesh. In a related development, the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala, Tripura, suspended all visa and consular servi

Bangladesh's largest minority group condemns attacks on Hindus in Sunamgonj

It has strongly demanded from the government to ensure exemplary punishment

Iskcon claims arrest of 2 more monks, secretary of Chinmoy Das in B'desh

Vice President of Iskcon Kolkata Radha Raman said that the monks were arrested on Friday by the police while on their way to home after meeting Chinmoy Krishna Das