“Save us Sanatanis from the clutches of jihadists!”—this is the desperate appeal made to the Government of India by Bangladeshi refugee Bappaditya Basu. Having somehow fled to India on a medical visa, Bappaditya Basu—one of the prominent faces of the Shahbag movement and a leader of the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council—claimed at a press conference convened by Sanatani Sansad at the Kolkata Press Club on Tuesday that Bangladesh has turned into a hell for the Hindu community under the occupying government of the last one and a half years.
The press conference was organised at the Kolkata Press Club by Sanatani Sansad to highlight the horrific present condition of Hindus in Bangladesh. Journalist Raktim Das, General Secretary of Sanatani Sansad, said, “For a long time, we have been hearing about atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh through various media and social media platforms. However, Hindus who fled to this country had never come forward to speak openly about it. From the platform of Sanatani Sansad, we have brought Bappaditya Basu forward to share his experiences. Our demand is that whenever Hindus take refuge in this country from Bangladesh, they must be granted unconditional citizenship. Moreover, the rights to the land and properties abandoned by Hindus while fleeing since Partition must be restored.”
Speaking in a tear-choked voice, Bappaditya Basu said that under the occupying government of the last one and a half years, Bangladesh has turned into a hell for the Hindu community. For standing up for Hindu rights, Sadhu Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari has been kept in prison without trial for nearly fourteen months. Centering around him, more than two hundred Sanatanis have been arrested and imprisoned following another planned murder—the killing of Advocate Alif in Chittagong. The brutal burning alive of Hindu youth Dipu Das in Mymensingh has shocked the world. Over the last one and a half years, at least 250 violent incidents have taken place merely on the false pretext of blasphemy. In Jhenaidah, poor rickshaw puller Gobinda Biswas was beaten brutally and his head smashed, branded as an Indian RAW agent simply because he was wearing a red sacred thread on his hand, and then handed over to the police. In Rajbari, a Hindu youth named Amrit Mondal Samrat was beaten to death on false charges. In Valuka of Mymensingh, a Hindu Ansar member named Brajendra Biswas was shot dead by his own colleague Noman Mia, who openly said, “Shall I shoot you, dada?” In Sultanpur village of Raozan, Chittagong, two Hindu families were locked inside their houses and burnt alive. In Pirojpur, five Hindu families were similarly targeted in an attempt to burn them alive. In reality, the entire Bangladesh has turned into a fire pit for Hindus. Silent and vocal atrocities continue unabated, accompanied by mass migration. Over the last one and a half years, at least 200,000 Hindus have fled Bangladesh to India through legal or illegal means to save their lives.
Due to Islam being declared the state religion, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and ethnic minorities including indigenous communities, have been reduced to second-class citizens. The very concept of a state religion opens the door for oppression and persecution of religious and ethnic minorities.
He further stated that since August 2024 till date, more than 3,000 incidents of violence against minorities have been reported in the media; unreported incidents would be several times higher. Murders, violence against women and rape, attacks on temples, vandalism, looting and arson, forceful occupation of land, homes and business establishments, physical torture, forced resignations from workplaces, obstruction of religious rituals, abductions, extortion, and forced religious conversions are continuing relentlessly. Although the government tries to label these incidents as political violence, in reality, they are nothing but minority persecution. Overall, lack of security, discrimination in employment, state-sponsored rise of communalism, open threats to establish an Islamic caliphate, slogans like “Catch Hindus one by one and slaughter them morning and evening”—all these together are part of an ethnic cleansing process against Hindus.
Those Hindus who have fled Bangladesh to save their lives are living in inhuman conditions even in India. Due to a lack of citizenship, they are unable to find work, accommodation in hotels, rental housing, or access to medical treatment. As a result, the Bangladesh government has pushed them toward inhuman living conditions marked by poverty, lack of medical care, and hunger. I make a heartfelt appeal to the Government of India and the Government of West Bengal to relax citizenship laws for these distressed Bangladeshi Hindus and facilitate a humane life for them.
Expressing gratitude to the Government of India, Bappaditya said that under the CAA Act, Hindus who arrived in India up to 2014 are currently being granted citizenship, for which he is thankful. However, to save endangered Hindus, the time limit of this Act must be relaxed and extended from 2014 to the present time. As an emergency measure, the process of issuing long-term visas (5 years) must be simplified. Additionally, pro–Liberation War political activists of other religions from Bangladesh are also living in inhuman conditions in various cities of India, particularly in West Bengal. Many of them have expired visas, and many could not even bring their passports. After proper verification, long-term visas should be granted to these political activists. At the same time, strict vigilance must be maintained to ensure that no members of terrorist or jihadist organisations illegally infiltrate India to carry out violence against the country.
Considering the current situation in Bangladesh—the horrific oppression against pro-Liberation War forces and especially religious minorities, particularly Hindus—I once again call upon the people of India, especially the people of West Bengal, to raise their voices.
Criticising the Yunus government sharply, he said that after the political change on August 5, 2024, the occupying government of Bangladesh has, over the past one and a half years, rejected the spirit of the Liberation War and the founding history of the state, and begun moving toward the ideology of establishing a Pakistan-aligned Islamic caliphate. Continuous attacks on pro–Liberation War forces, destruction of memorials, the Shaheed Minar, the Father of the Nation’s residence and other symbols of independence, repeated attacks on social and cultural progressive forces, suppression of newspapers and media, vandalism and arson—such activities are ongoing. In short, Bangladesh is burning today. Under the direct patronage of the illegal occupying Yunus government, extremist armed jihadist terrorist groups have re-emerged. Previously detained terrorists have been released from prison. Notorious militants such as Jashimuddin Rahmani of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), Ataur Rahman Bikrampuri of Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), and Mufti Harun Izhar of Harkat-ul-Jihad (HuJI) have been allowed to roam freely. They are now openly delivering speeches inciting anti-India sentiments, calling for the extermination of Hindus, and declaring the establishment of an Islamic caliphate.
Recently, a massive explosion occurred at a madrasa in Keraniganj near Dhaka, from where a large cache of explosives and 11 suicide vests were recovered. The madrasa was under the control of Al Amin, brother-in-law of militant leader Harun Izhar. Evidence of the presence of two Indian Muslim nationals was also found there. It has also emerged that Asgar, Second Secretary (Cultural) of the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka, personally held meetings with jihadists at this madrasa.
Behind all this is the ISI, he further claimed. The Pakistani military intelligence agency ISI—whose work is to produce, nurture, and export terrorism—has recently formed a special militant group in Bangladesh called the Muhajir Regiment. This regiment includes Pakistani militants who have been allowed free movement in Bangladesh, as well as stranded Pakistanis residing there. In addition, the Rohingya terrorist group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) is currently extremely active. Using this combined Muhajir Regiment, the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka is plotting attacks on Indian establishments in Bangladesh, including the Indian High Commission, Indian Visa Application Centres, and the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre. The attack on December 18 at the Indian Visa Application Centre and the Deputy High Commissioner’s residence in Khulshi, Chittagong, was led by militant leader Harun Izhar. Evidence of direct involvement of Pakistani nationals in this attack has also been found. After the attack, those arrested by the police were released the same night after Harun Izhar himself went to the Khulshi police station and threatened the police. The recent murder of Osman Hadi in Dhaka has already been reported in the media as a planned act by this nexus. Their objective was to destabilise Bangladesh and blame India for Hadi’s murder to exploit the chaos. We have reliably learned that those involved in Hadi’s murder are currently sheltered in the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka. An international investigation will reveal the truth.
Making a heartfelt appeal to the Government of India and the people of India, this Sanatani warrior said: This sacred land of India is the land of Lord Krishna, Lord Ramchandra, Sri Ramakrishna, and Sarada Maa. All Hindus of the world should have full rights over this land. For self-preservation, I myself have taken refuge in India. Please do not send us back into the fire pit of Bangladesh to face genocide. As Swami Vivekananda said in his Chicago address, just as this tolerant India and Sanatani culture have given shelter to oppressed people of all civilisations, similarly, today, please do not deprive the distressed people of Bangladesh of their right to take refuge in Mother India’s lap.
We want our Sonar Bangla back. We do not want to stay in India forever. We want to return to Bangladesh and again raise the slogan “Joy Bangla.” We want to return to Bangladesh and sing Rabindranath’s “Amar Sonar Bangla,” sing Nazrul’s songs, and sing Lalon’s songs. We appeal to the people of India and the world—return our Bangladesh to us.
At the press conference, BJP leader Shankudev Panda said, “We stand with all Sanatanis of Bangladesh and all forces in favour of the Liberation War. We are with you. In whatever way possible, we will stand by you to protect you from jihadists. I clearly state that the Government of India will also stand with you.”
Others present at the press conference who expressed solidarity with the people of Bangladesh included Brahmavidyananda Maharaj, State Secretary of the Akhil Bharatiya Sant Samiti; Supreme Court lawyer Jaydeep Mukherjee, Secretary of the All India Legal Aid Forum; Vimalkumar Chand, former Indian Navy officer and recipient of the Vir Chakra during the 1971 war; and Govinda Das, President of Sanatani Sansad.
