Activists of Hindu Sanhati, a fringe pro-Hindu organisation, staged a protest march in Kolkata on Friday against alleged attacks on Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, seeking stronger safeguards for the community in the neighbouring country.
The rally began at Sealdah station in north Kolkata and proceeded towards the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission office in Beckbagan, with demonstrators raising slogans condemning what they described as continued violence against minority Hindus across the border.
Protesters said they intended to submit a memorandum to the diplomatic mission, demanding enhanced protection for Hindus in Bangladesh and strict legal action against those accused of targeting minority communities.
Anticipating disruptions, police deployed a heavy security presence and erected barricades around the deputy high commission to prevent the protesters from reaching the premises. When stopped a short distance from their destination, the demonstrators blocked AJC Bose Road and launched a sit-in protest.
“We are determined to submit our memorandum to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission today,” a protest leader told reporters.
This marked the second attempt by a pro-Hindu group to march to the diplomatic office in recent days. On December 23, a similar protest escalated into clashes with police, resulting in injuries on both sides and the arrest of more than a dozen demonstrators.
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari is scheduled to meet the Bangladesh deputy high commissioner on Friday, accompanied by representatives of several Hindu organisations.
