Tensions and protests have escalated across Bangladesh after the alleged desecration of an image of Lord Ram during a demonstration by Islamist groups opposing the construction of a giant statue of the Hindu deity in Gaibandha district. Thousands of Hindus took to the streets in Dhaka on Friday carrying torches, chanting "Jai Shri Ram" and demanding action against those allegedly responsible, amid growing concerns over religious intolerance and communal harmony.
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The torchlight march marked the latest and largest expression of anger from Bangladesh's Hindu community, with participants vowing to expand demonstrations nationwide. The protests come as authorities continue to keep the construction of the proposed statue on hold, a decision that has drawn criticism from Hindu groups and community leaders.
Commenting on the demonstrations, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, editor of the Bangladeshi newspaper Blitz, wrote on X, “Hindus in Bangladesh roar against Islamists by chanting the ‘Jay Shri Ram' slogan! Thousands of Hindus in Bangladesh went into the streets holding torches and chanting the ‘Jay Shri Ram’ slogan against the recent notoriety of Islamists against the Sanatan Complex in the Gaibandha district under the Rangpur division as well as disrespecting the portraits of Lord Ram. They have declared spreading such protest throughout the country and for the first time vowed to fight back."
