29 December 2024
The Right Honourable Sir Keir Starmer
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
10 Downing Street
London, SW1A 2AA
Subject: Urgent Appeal to Safeguard Religious Minorities in Bangladesh
Your Excellency, Prime Minister Starmer,
On behalf of the British Hindu community and in solidarity with concerned organisations across the United Kingdom, I am writing to bring to your immediate attention the grave situation faced by religious minorities, particularly Hindus, in Bangladesh. This letter accompanies a multi-organisation statement appealing for intervention and urgent measures to address the escalating violence and persecution.
Bangladesh is currently enduring severe political turmoil, resulting in an alarming rise in violence against religious minorities. The enclosed statement outlines the distressing events following the departure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, with mobs targeting Hindu, Christian, and Buddhist communities. There is growing evidence of looting, arson, and heinous crimes, including murder, rape, and land seizures. This systematic violence borders on genocide and threatens the very fabric of Bangladesh’s pluralistic society.
The interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus has yet to curtail these atrocities, and the persecution continues unchecked. The attached document highlights specific cases, including the wrongful detention of Hindu monks and lack of legal representation. Such incidents demonstrate the urgent need for international intervention.
We respectfully urge the Government of Bangladesh to:
– Establish a tribunal to prosecute those responsible for crimes against religious minorities.
– Ensure the safety, rights, and property of all religious minorities.
– Release innocent detainees.
– Form a Minority Ministry dedicated to safeguarding the rights of religious communities.
– Reaffirm Bangladesh as a secular nation committed to protecting all its citizens.
We appeal to the United Kingdom, a longstanding ally and development partner of Bangladesh, to leverage its diplomatic channels to advocate for these measures. The British Hindu community, with deep familial and cultural ties to Bangladesh, remains deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of their relatives and the wider minority populations.
We trust that your offices will give this urgent matter the serious attention it deserves. We remain hopeful that through collaborative international effort, peace and stability can be restored in Bangladesh, ensuring the safety of all its citizens, irrespective of their religious affiliations.
Yours faithfully,
Surinder Gautama