British Hindu delegation meets MP Catherine West, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to discuss the human rights violations of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh
British Hindu delegation meets MP Catherine West, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to discuss the human rights violations of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh
On Wednesday 5th February, a delegation from the British Hindu diaspora met with MP Catherine West, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to discuss the ongoing persecution and human rights violations of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.
The delegation included Bikram Banerjee (BHAS UK), Mitesh Sevani (INSIGHT UK), Proshanta Purakaystha BEM (BHA UK), Shuchishmita Maitra (representing the youth), and Ajit Saha (Hindu Aid UK). The discussion was divided into three key sections, each focusing on specific aspects of the crisis and necessary actions. Bikram Banerjee chaired the discussion, ensuring that the conversation remained focused on the fundamental points that needed to be emphasised regarding the current plight of Hindus in Bangladesh and demands to the UK government.
Proshanta Purakaystha opened the conversation by presenting reports, critical data and statistics on the historical genocide of Hindus in Bangladesh, highlighting the ongoing whitewashing of these atrocities by MP Rupa Huq. He outlined the systemic persecution and violence faced by Hindus in Bangladesh and emphasised the need for international recognition of these crimes. Following this, Ajit Saha provided an on-the-ground report detailing the current situation in Bangladesh after his recent visit. He described the threats faced by religious minorities, including forced conversions, land grabs, and discrimination in employment. He also outlined the expectations from the UK government, stressing the need for stronger diplomatic pressure to safeguard minority rights in Bangladesh. Finally, he requested the MP to consider sending a commonwealth-led independent human rights mission (consisting of representatives from minority communities from the UK) to Bangladesh to assess the real situation.
Mitesh Sevani then broadened the discussion by addressing the concerns of the 1.8 million-strong British Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist diaspora. He underscored the necessity of UK governmental intervention to protect religious minorities abroad. Finally, Shuchishmita represented the concerns of young British Hindus and how the matter directly concerns the Hindu youth. She then articulated eight key points from Hindu and other minority groups from Bangladesh and presented six immediate demands to the UK government. These demands included enforcing protections for religious minorities in Bangladesh, urging the Bangladeshi government to uphold non-discriminatory policies, calling for the immediate release of unjustly imprisoned individuals such as Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu Das and the distribution of aid through humanitarian organisations to ensure that minorities receive the aid as the main victims. International monitoring would also be needed for aid distribution.
Additionally, the delegation called for action against MP Rupa Huq’s stance on religious minorities and urged the UK Department for Education to include Hindu genocides in the GCSE History and Humanities curriculum, alongside other major genocides.
Catherine West listened attentively and assured the delegation that she would take the matter forward in line with the reports submitted and the demands outlined in the supporting document. All evidence and data were provided to her for reference, and a follow-up meeting was requested to ensure progress and further assess the situation.
