DHAKA: Bangladesh continued to witness protests by the Hindu community in Dhaka and other parts of the country, condemning govt's 'inaction' following an incident at Palashbari, Gaibandha, in which a picture of Lord Ram was allegedly hit with shoes during a procession and threats were reportedly made to vandalise the idol of Lord Ram at Radha-Gobinda Temple.
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Claiming that a group with vested interests is trying to create instability in the country by destroying religious harmony, leaders of Hindu community on Saturday highlighted repeated attacks on the minorities and threatened to mobilise larger protests if their concerns are not addressed immediately. They are even ready to die for the cause, they said.
Dhaka witnessed massive protests on Friday night and Saturday. Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad also staged demonstrations on Saturday, joined by Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad.
They described the incidents as a grave insult to Hindu sentiments and expressed concern over what they termed as a deliberate attempt by communal elements to incite hatred against minority communities.
Hindu community leaders said they wanted to send out a strong message that they would not accept such inaction from govt and would launch resistance against the group if necessary. "We are not floating people here. We are citizens of this country. We sacrificed our blood to build Bangladesh. We achieved this Bangladesh through the sacrifices of our near and dear ones," said one of the protesters. "We must stop this evil force," he added.
Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad organised human chains, protest rallies and processions across the country, demanding immediate legal action against those responsible for the incidents. The central protest rally and human chain in Dhaka were organised in front of National Press Club.
Rallies held across the country unanimously proclaimed that Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and indigenous peoples have equal rights in the country.
