Bangladesh: Attacks on Hindu Community

Question

Since August, Bangladesh has seen over 2,000 incidents of violence targeting Hindus. There are reports of police standing by as temples were attacked and worshippers assaulted. What more can the Minister do to discuss these issues with the Bangladeshi Government?

Question

What efforts has the Government taken to engage with the Bangladeshi government on protecting life, preventing violence and persecution, and promoting tolerance for religious belief? What discussions have taken place?

Question

What representations have been made to ensure those who incite or perpetrate violence against Hindus are held accountable?

Question

We share the concerns of Members on both sides of the House about these attacks. I note that the Minister has spoken to her Bangladeshi counterparts, and urge her to continue to do so. The most recent Foreign Office human rights and democracy report lists Bangladesh as a “human rights priority” country and highlights “reports of harassment...particularly towards...Hindu minorities, often incited online.” Can the Minister update us on the progress being made, using UK funding, in combating religious discrimination in Bangladesh? Is that funding at risk of being another casualty of the latest round of cuts in overseas development assistance?

Question

We must be vigilant against all attacks on minorities. Does the Minister agree that at times since 1971 there have been communal tensions of this kind? Between 1974 and 2001, the Hindu population in Bangladesh decreased from 13.5% to 8.5%. May I caution the Minister: following the collapse of the regime after the murder of 800 students, some people may seek to exploit these tensions. Can the Minister assure us that we are doing all that we can to enable the country to make the transition to democracy and what is called Bangladesh 2.0?

Question

I congratulate my constituency neighbour, my hon. Friend the Member for Brent West (Barry Gardiner), and thank you, Mr Speaker, for granting the urgent question. Hindus are suffering with their houses being burned and their businesses ransacked. Priests have been arrested, and two more were arrested over the weekend. The clear issue is an attempt at ethnic cleansing of Hindus from Bangladesh. Will the Minister come out and condemn outright this violence against Hindus? We want to hear not just words of piety, but absolute condemnation of what is going on.

Question

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Brent West on securing this important urgent question. I represent a diverse community. Both Muslims and Hindus in Liverpool have made representations to me about the growing sectarian violence, the slide to extremism, and particularly the persecution of the Hindu minority. The violence faced by minorities on religious and political grounds must stop. What representations are the UK Government making at the United Nations on this matter?

Question

Clearly, it would have been expedient to have had a special envoy for religious freedom in place; it is all very well for the Minister to say that such an appointment is under ministerial consideration. What is the problem? Do the Government not have anyone committed enough or talented enough to do it?

Question

Residents in Portsmouth North have loved ones and family members in Bangladesh and are concerned about their safety and security. Does the Minister agree that we need to see a peaceful pathway to an inclusive and democratic future for Bangladesh, and can she give us information on how that is being advanced?

Question

A number of members of the Hindu community in Mid Buckinghamshire have contacted me to say that they are deeply concerned about the situation in Bangladesh. Does she believe that Bangladesh’s constitution, which guarantees equal status to religions and equal rights in the practice of religion, provides a reliable legal basis on which to domestically prosecute cases of religiously motivated violence?

Question

Can the Minister reassure the House about the importance of religion and belief in Bangladesh and all nations across the world, particularly for minorities? She will appreciate the long-standing, deep ties between the Hindu community in the UK and Hindus in Bangladesh. Can she please detail what engagement she has had with the UK’s Hindu and Bangladeshi communities on this issue?

Question

Over 16 days, 2,010 people reported incidents, including attacks on 69 Hindu temples. The homes of 157 families were attacked, looted, vandalised or set on fire, and nine Hindus lost their life. What steps can the UK take to work with the Bangladeshi Government and international partners to promote the rights of religious minorities in Bangladesh, to ensure accountability for these heinous crimes, and to promote the fundamental right to freedom of religion or belief for all?

Question

Some of my constituents from the growing Indian community in Winchburgh are increasingly concerned about accounts of horrific acts of violence towards the Hindu community in Bangladesh. Does the Minister agree that violence against Hindus, or any other religious minorities, is entirely unacceptable? What reassurance can she provide to my constituents that the UK Government are supporting all efforts to protect the freedom of religion and belief?

Question

I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Brent West (Barry Gardiner) on securing this urgent question, and I thank the Minister for her response. She will be aware that a significant number of members of the Bangladeshi Hindu diaspora in the UK, including in my constituency, have expressed concern about the attacks on the Hindu community in Bangladesh. Several Bangladeshi Hindu community organisations in the UK have recently written to the Foreign Secretary requesting a meeting. What efforts are she and the Foreign Secretary making to engage with the community, and are they willing to attend a meeting to discuss their concerns and the action that the Government are taking?

Question

Several of my constituents have been in touch who are incredibly concerned about family members in Bangladesh. Those family members have been living in extreme fear for some time, but particularly since August, and reports of increasing violence against the Hindu community are disturbing. How do the Government intend to support human rights in Bangladesh, and to support the Bangladeshi community in my constituency as they go through this difficult time?