On 9th January (Friday), Member of British Parliament Priti Patel from Witham voiced her concerns regarding the increasing religious intolerance and rampant anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh. She wrote a letter to British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, urging him to address the critical issue.
Patel expressed the same on social media and stated, “Religious freedoms should be protected and the murders of Hindus and persecution taking place are wrong and must stop.” She also asked the UK to employ “its influence and convening powers to work to bring about stability in Bangladesh and a future where religious freedoms are protected and Hindus as safe.” She is the current Shadow Secretary of State of foreign, commonwealth and development affairs.
The situation in Bangladesh is very concerning. Religious freedoms should be protected and the murders of Hindus and persecution taking place are wrong and must stop.
The UK Government must use its influence and convening powers to work to bring about stability in Bangladesh… pic.twitter.com/VsVuPexXAY
— Priti Patel MP (@pritipatel) January 9, 2026
Patel referred to the rise of “religious violence and persecution in Bangladesh” as quite alarming in the letter. She outlined that there have been reports of at least six Hindu murders in a span of eighteen days in recent weeks, adding that the scale of brutality and persecution is “unacceptable.”
The letter further read, “During an Urgent Question on attacks on the Hindu Community in Bangladesh in the House of Commons on 2 December 2024, the then Minister for the Indo-Pacific stated that she had visited Bangladesh and was discussing the protection of religious minorities and undertook to continue to monitor and the situation and make representations.”
Patel then asked to be informed of the actions taken over the past year to monitor and make representations, in view of the worsening violence. She enquired, “Can you advise on what direct contacts you and your Ministers have had with the authorities in Bangladesh and your counterparts over the last few weeks in relation to the current increase in violence?”
The Indian-origin MP sought information about the commitments made on the measures being implemented to safeguard the Hindu community from harm and assaults. She asked if any effort was taken to discuss these issues with the Bangladesh High Commissioner in Britain.
Patel also implored, “Given the wider political situation in Bangladesh, what work is underway with partners in the region to use our diplomatic influence and convening powers to bring about stability in Bangladesh and respect and protection for minorities?”
She then drew attention to the diaspora population in the UK, querying if a statement would be delivered to people who are affected and have family in Bangladesh, given the public interest in the situation. She similarly demanded to know if a “statement would be made in the House of Commons on the Government’s actions and approach,” and concluded with “I look forward to your reply.”
India also flags Bangladesh’s “disturbing pattern,” “emboldening of perpetrators”
Meanwhile, India has also issued a strong statement regarding the developments in the neighbouring countries. “We continue to witness a disturbing pattern of recurring attacks on minorities as well as their homes and businesses by extremists. Such communal incidents need to be dealt with swiftly and firmly,” stated Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
#BREAKING: India’s @MEAIndia on Minorities facing attacks in Bangladesh:
“We continue to witness a disturbing pattern of recurring attacks on minorities as well as their homes and businesses by extremists. Such communal incidents need to be dealt with swiftly and firmly. We have…
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) January 9, 2026
The official added, “We have observed a troubling tendency to attribute such incidents to personal rivalries, political differences, or extraneous reasons. Such disregard only emboldens the perpetrators and deepens the sense of fear and insecurity among minorities.”
Bangladesh has been experiencing a surge of widespread anti-Hindu violence following the removal of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. The violence has persisted unabated and has only intensified over time as jihadi forces continue to gain strength within the country. The number of Hindu killings has once again risen sharply, particularly after the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, after which more Hindu lives were brutally ended.
