Bengali nationalist group Bangla Pokkho organised a protest march on Saturday towards the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, raising concerns over rising attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. Protesters alleged that Hindu communities in the neighbouring country were facing continuous violence from communal groups. Police stopped the demonstrators at a distance from the High Commission office in south Kolkata, ensuring law and order was maintained.
Protesters carried black flags and raised slogans condemning communalism and right-wing extremism in Bangladesh. They claimed that Hindu Bengalis were being systematically targeted in different regions of the country. The march came amid reports of unrest in Bangladesh on Thursday night, where multiple incidents of violence and vandalism were reported. Stones were thrown at the residence of the Assistant Indian High Commissioner in Chattogram. Offices of major newspapers were attacked, and the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum suffered vandalism. These events followed the confirmation of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi’s death by Bangladesh’s interim government Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus.
The interim government later announced on X that seven individuals had been arrested in connection with the lynching of a Hindu man. Dipu Chandra Das was reportedly beaten to death by a mob in Mymensingh city, and his body was set on fire following allegations of blasphemy.
Speaking during the Kolkata protest, Bangla Pokkho general secretary Garga Chatterjee expressed concern over rising attacks on minorities worldwide. He said the brutal killing of Dipu Das highlighted growing violence in Bangladesh. Chatterjee called on the Government of India to take strong action and immediately sever trade and diplomatic ties with Bangladesh.
Police maintained tight security throughout the protest to prevent any escalation, while authorities continued to monitor the situation closely. The demonstration ended peacefully, with further developments awaited.