UK MP raises persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh in House of Commons

London: UK member of Parliament Bob Blackman, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Hindus, has raised concerns in the House of Commons over the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.

During a Parliament session on Thursday, the MP for Harrow East in north London condemned the persecution of minorities and the imprisonment of Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh.

He pointed out that Das is the spiritual leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), which runs the Bhaktivedanta Manor temple at Elstree in Watford, one of the UK's largest Hindu temples on the outskirts of London.

“[He] is under arrest in Bangladesh and Hindus across Bangladesh are being subjected to death, with their houses and temples being burnt,” Blackman told MPs.

“There was today (Thursday) an attempt in Bangladesh’s High Court to rule that ISKCON should be banned from the country, which is a direct attack on Hindus. There is now a threat from India to take action and we have a responsibility because we enabled Bangladesh to be free and independent,” he said.

The Opposition Conservative Party MP stressed that it “cannot be acceptable that religious minorities are persecuted in this way” and called for freedom of religion to be preserved globally.

“We support freedom of religion or belief everywhere and that includes Bangladesh. I will certainly ask Foreign Office Ministers to look at coming forward with a statement about what is happening to Hindus in Bangladesh,” said Lucy Powell in her response on behalf of the UK government as the Leader of the House of Commons.

Blackman’s intervention was welcomed by the diaspora group Friends of India Society International (FISI) UK which condemned the numerous attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, including “arson, looting, theft, vandalism, and desecration of temples and deities”.

It follows a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement calling on Bangladesh authorities to ensure the "safety and security of Hindus and all minorities, including their right of freedom of peaceful assembly and expression".

The MEA statement said: “We have noted with deep concern the arrest and denial of bail to Shri Chinmoy Krishna Das, the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote spokesperson. This incident follows the multiple attacks on Hindus and other minorities by extremist elements in Bangladesh.

“There are several documented cases of arson and looting of minorities' homes and business establishments as well as theft and vandalism and desecration of deities and temples. It is unfortunate that while the perpetrators of these incidents remain at large, charges should be pressed against a religious leader presenting legitimate demands through peaceful gatherings. We also note with concern the attacks on minorities protesting peacefully against the arrest of Shri Das.”