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Hundreds of Bangladeshi Hindus hit the streets of Dhaka to protest against a spate of targeted attacks against them and vandalisation of temples following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government this week amid vociferous student protests. Videos on social media showed hundreds of people carrying posters demanding minorities be "saved" as slogans of "Who are we? Bengali, Bengali" rend the air.
The protesters appealed for peace as they blocked an intersection in the capital on Friday amid chants of 'Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna'.
Hasina's Awami League posted videos of the protests on X, saying, "Bangladesh Hindus have taken to the streets in Shahbagh, Dhaka, to protest the attacks on their person, properties, and places of worship since August 5".
Widespread looting of houses of Hindus, who make up about 8 per cent of the country's population, and targeting of temples have been reported in Bangladesh after Hasina fled to India following weeks of protests over a controversial quota system in government jobs.
Over 230 people have died since the fall of the Awami League government on August 5.
Amid the violence, a school teacher and two Hindu councillors were killed and at least 45 people injured, Reuters reported. An ISKCON temple in Meherpur, located in Bangladesh's Khulna division, was also vandalised and set on fire.
Hundreds of Bangladeshi Hindus have attempted to enter India by crossing the land border. India shares a nearly 4,096 km long land and riverine border with Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has claimed that at least 52 of the country's 64 districts have been impacted by communal violence. The council has appealed to Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus, who took charge as head of an interim government on Thursday, to ensure the protection and well-being of minorities.
"There is deep apprehension, anxiety and uncertainty among minorities across the country," the council said in an open letter on Friday.
In his first address to the nation on Thursday, Yunus warned that those spreading anarchy would face the full force of law enforcement agencies.
The Indian government said the situation concerning the minorities was worrying and asserted that it was monitoring the situation. The MEA, in its weekly briefing on Thursday, emphasised that various initiatives have been taken by groups and organisations in Bangladesh to ensure the protection of minorities.
