Will organize protests at borders if attack on minority Hindus in Bangladesh not stopped: Bengal LoP

Kolkata: Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal assembly on Tuesday said that demonstrations will be organized at the India-Bangladesh border of Benapole -Petrapole in North 24 Parganas of West Bengal if the on-going attacks and atrocities on minority Hindus in Bangladesh are not stopped immediately.

He said this while addressing a father at the rally organized by Govardhana Giri Charitable Trust in Kolkata, protesting against the attack on the Hindu community in Bangladesh and destruction of Durga idols during Durga Puja.

Besides Adhikari and other BJP leaders from West Bengal, a section of women from Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas who were reportedly victims of sexual harassment there at the hands of a section of the ruling Trinamool Congress leaders, also participated at the rally.

“We will be forced to stage protest demonstrations at the Benapole –Petrapole border if the attacks and atrocities on the minority Hindus at Bangladesh are not stopped immediately. We respect other religions. But, today we are being attacked there. We want to send this message to the officials of the Bangladesh deputy high commission in Kolkata,” Adhikari said while addressing gathering at the end of the rally.

Kolkata Police initially did not give permission to organize the rally, following which the organizers approached the Calcutta High Court. Calcutta High Court’s single- judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh gave conditional approval to conduct the rally on Tuesday.

Bangladesh has been on the boil since July this year following an uprising against the erstwhile Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, following which she ultimately had to escape the country and take shelter in India.

The violence did not stop even after the new interim government there headed by Nobel prize winner Muhhmmad Yunus took charge. In recent past, there had been reports of several instances of attacks and atrocities on the minority Hindus in Bangladesh.