Hundreds of Hindus Gather at Bangladesh-India Border After Ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

Hundreds of Hindus in Bangladesh have gathered along the Indian border, hoping to cross over, according to security officials on Thursday. This development follows the recent ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, driven by a student-led uprising.

In the aftermath of Hasina’s departure, some businesses and homes owned by Hindus have been targeted, as the group is perceived by some in the Muslim-majority country to have been supportive of Hasina.

“Several hundred Bangladeshi nationals, mostly Hindus, gathered at different points along India’s border with Bangladesh,” Amit Kumar Tyagi, deputy inspector general of India’s Border Security Force (BSF), told AFP. Over 200 people were seen “standing close” to the frontier with India’s West Bengal state. In Jalpaiguri district, more than 600 Bangladeshis gathered in no-man’s land, Tyagi added.

“As there is no fence here, BSF personnel formed a human shield to keep them at bay,” Tyagi said, noting that officers fired a blank shot into the air to disperse the crowds.

Hasina, 76, who had been in power since 2009, resigned on Monday following over a month of deadly protests. Despite improvements in the overall security situation in Bangladesh, there have been reports of revenge attacks on her supporters and party officials.

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council reported that at least 10 Hindu temples were attacked by “miscreants” on Monday. Additionally, a hospital official, speaking on condition of anonymity, informed AFP that a man from the Hindu community was beaten to death in the southern Bagerhat district.

In India, where Hasina has taken refuge, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar stated on Tuesday that the Indian government is “monitoring the situation” concerning minorities.