The United Minority Alliance of Bangladesh held a public rally today, Friday, October 4, 2024, at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka. At the rally, speakers expressed concerns about the current insecurity faced by the minority communities and indigenous peoples in the country. They noted that minorities are constantly facing threats, leading to uncertainty in their daily lives. Therefore, the speakers called on the interim government to take visible steps to ensure democracy and coexistence for all, regardless of religion or ethnicity.
The speakers also mentioned that even after 53 years of independence, the nation has failed to create an idealistic history. The principal speaker, Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, head of the Pundarik Dham in Hathazari, Chattogram, said, “It is a matter of shame for us and a threat to our future that we have not been able to create an idealistic history. Our servile mentality has led to today’s disaster.” He also referred to incidents of violence against religious and ethnic minorities in various parts of the country after the political shift on August 5.
The speakers questioned why, during religious festivals, madrasa students had to be deployed, highlighting that this shows how unsafe minorities in the country are. Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari also expressed frustration at one of the advisors of the interim government, saying, “The Hindu advisor has not visited any temple or stood beside any victims. He has taken no steps in favor of Hindus or minorities. So, who has been appointed as the Hindu representative?”
He further stated that although the chief advisor has promoted peace globally and received the Nobel Prize, peace in Bangladesh will be in permanent jeopardy if minorities are not secure. The country risks turning into a communal state, and politics will be discarded. He urged visible steps to ensure the right to life for every religious community as part of upholding democracy and coexistence.
Another religious leader, Ravishananda Puri Maharaj, said, “We have reached a point where we are losing lives, where our backs are against the wall. The entire Sanatani community of Bangladesh is present here today to seek liberation from this situation. We will continue our movement until our eight demands are met.”
Religious leader Gopinath Das Brahmachari urged the interim government to immediately accept the eight demands, pointing out that every government since 1971 has oppressed the Sanatani community and that none have brought the perpetrators to justice.
The eight demands raised by the United Minority Alliance include establishing a neutral commission to ensure justice for the oppression of minorities, enacting a Minority Protection Act, forming a Ministry of Minority Affairs, upgrading the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust to a foundation, enacting laws for the recovery and protection of Debottor (temple) property, constructing places of worship for minority students in educational institutions, forming a Culture and Pali Education Board, and declaring a five-day holiday for Durga Puja.
The rally was presided over by Professor Dhirendranath Biswas, with student Nirmal Biswas from Dhaka University serving as the moderator. Other speakers included Prosenjit Kumar Haldar, a representative of the United Minority Alliance, Sajan Krishna Bol of the Sanatani Rights Movement, and Sushant Adhikari of Bangladesh Conscious Sanatani Citizens.
Also in attendance were Lilraj Brahmachari, Secretary General of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Chattogram, Dipankar Sikder, President of the Central Committee of Bangladesh Hindu Council, Ashish Chandra Das, President of Bangladesh Sanatan Party, Palash Kanti De, Executive Secretary of Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance, and Shyamol Kanti Nag, Secretary General of the World Hindu Federation.
