Several Hindu organisations organised a joint protest in Auckland's Aotea Square on Sunday afternoon to highlight what they called "the ongoing atrocities being committed on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh" after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government.
Brojo Gopal Karmakar, a Bangladeshi Hindu who has been living in New Zealand for more than 20 years, was one of the speakers at the gathering of about 100 people.
He expressed grief over the current situation in his home country.
Brojo Gopal Karmakar, a Bangladeshi Hindu, has been residing in New Zealand for over 20 years. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
"We [Hindus] have faced prosecution in Bangladesh for decades, and the situation has deteriorated massively in the last month. We want the New Zealand government, to at least, recognise what is going on there, and give preference to Hindu refugees coming from Bangladesh.
"While we know the new caretaker government under Muhammad Yunus has given assurances that minority rights will be protected, for us, these are just words. He [Yunus] can't control the mobs flooding the streets of Bangladesh."
Dozens have been killed in violent clashes.
Representatives of Bangladeshi Hindu community in New Zealand want the government to give preference to Hindu refugees from Bangladesh. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Yunus, who was sworn in as Bangladesh's interim leader on 9 August, has told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that his government is committed to safeguarding every citizen of the country including minorities.
Modi raised the issue of protection of minorities with Yunus during a call this week.
Yunus, in a social media post, said the reports on attacks on minorities have been exaggerated and invited Indian journalists to visit Bangladesh and report from the ground on the issues of minority protection.
Monisha Jahan (left) and Deepika Dutta are from Bangladesh. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
Monisha Jahan, a Bangladeshi Muslim who attended the protest and has been in New Zealand since 2016, hopes her home country returns to normalcy soon.
"Currently, minorities in Bangladesh are not safe. There is vandalism and killings happening, as has been widely reported. We [Bangladeshis of all faiths] are here to express solidarity with Hindus and other minorities, and demand restoration of human rights of everyone."
Deepika Dutt, a Bangladeshi Hindu who has been here for more than 14 years, shared the same sentiment.
"The whole world is watching the new caretaker government. First and foremost, the country needs stability. I hope he [Yunus] delivers."
A former New Zealand First MP of Indian origin, Mahesh Bindra, was the spokesperson for the Hindu organisations which organised the protest.
"We want to send a clear message to the international community that violence against any kind of minorities is not acceptable," she said.
"Temples are being destroyed, properties are being vandalised, and women are being raped. This must stop in Bangladesh."
Several Hindu organisations organised a joint protest in Auckland’s Aotea Square on Sunday afternoon to highlight what they called “the ongoing atrocities being committed on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh” after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom
Former National Party MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi said that he, along with a few community leaders, met the honorary consul of Bangladesh in Auckland after the ouster of Hasina's government.
"Hindus, all over the world, including here in New Zealand, are concerned about the current situation in Bangladesh. We requested him [honorary consul] to convey our sentiments to the Bangladeshi authorities."
Parmjeet Parmar, a list MP in the ACT Party, noted: "I am here today to express solidarity with the concerns of the local Indian community in Auckland.
"Like everyone here, I also hope the caretaker government in Bangladesh brings the situation under control soon enough."
The last words belonged to Jahan.
"All of us [Bangladeshis] dream of a non-communal Bangladesh. My appeal to everyone back home is to come together and protect the rights of all minorities."