Saffron forces rally outside Bangladesh mission in Kolkata

A group of Hindu organisations carrying saffron flags staged a protest outside the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata on Monday afternoon, December 22, amid allegations of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.

The protest was led by West Bengal Leader of the Opposition Shuvendu Adhikari of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), along with leaders and activists from various Hindu organisations.

Several thousand activists attempted to march towards the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission at the Beg Bagan intersection.

However, Kolkata Police stopped the procession about 200 metres from the mission.

After being stopped by police, protesters including Shuvendu Adhikari sat on the road in demonstration. During the protest, an effigy of Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus was set on fire.

Speaking at the protest, Adhikari said, “We organised this programme to surround the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in protest against repeated atrocities on Bangladeshi Hindus. In the coming days, we will also hold symbolic protest programmes near the international border with Bangladesh.”

Protests have intensified in parts of India following the death of Dipu Das, a Bangladeshi Hindu, with demonstrations reported across West Bengal over alleged attacks on the Hindu community in Bangladesh.

On Saturday, protesters breached security cordons in Delhi and Tripura and demonstrated outside Bangladesh High Commission premises, prompting heightened security measures at Bangladeshi diplomatic missions in India.

Against this backdrop, security around the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata had been strengthened. Despite this, protesters were allowed to gather within 200 metres of the mission on Monday.

The demonstrators said the protest aimed to highlight alleged persecution of minorities in Bangladesh and to demand steps to ensure their safety.