Hindu protest over Bangladesh lynching in London disrupted by Khalistani counter-demonstrators

Hindus protest lynching in Bangladesh outside London mission; Khalistani groups intervene

A peaceful protest by Hindu groups outside the Bangladesh High Commission in London on Saturday, condemning the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das and highlighting the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh, was disrupted by a counter-protest involving Khalistani supporters.

More than 500 protesters, largely Bangladeshi and Indian-origin Hindus, gathered to demand justice for Dipu Chandra Das, a garment factory worker lynched in Mymensingh on December 18.

Demonstrators raised slogans such as “Hindus Lives Matter” and carried placards seeking protection for minorities and the release of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das. A digital van displayed messages reading “Hindus have right to live.”

Organised by the Bengali Hindu Adarsha Saangha (UK), the protest remained peaceful, with participants standing behind police barricades opposite the High Commission. Tensions rose when a small group carrying yellow Khalistani flags arrived, shouting anti-India and anti-Hindu slogans and praising recently assassinated extremist Sharif Osman Hadi. Police stepped in to keep the two sides apart and prevent escalation.

One of the organisers, Prajjwal Biswas, said, “I don’t know why Khalistanis are protesting as this is not their cause. They are trying to instigate us.”

Bangladesh-born protester Shuchishmita said, “The persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh is something that has been going on for centuries and no media speaks about it. I am here to ask for justice for the Hindu community. We shouldn’t tolerate what is happening.”

Sources told CNN-News18 that the disruption followed a familiar pattern of narrative interference, alleging the involvement of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) through Khalistani proxies to divert international attention from violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. According to the sources, the Khalistani groups had no direct link to Bangladesh’s internal communal violence but aimed to undermine the protest’s message.

The demonstration, backed by the Bangladesh Hindu Association and other Indian diaspora groups, sought to draw global attention to targeted attacks on Hindus. A brief scuffle occurred before police restored order.

Sources further claimed that while Islamist groups within Bangladesh suppress minority voices and amplify anti-India sentiment, Khalistani elements abroad are being used to intimidate Hindu and India-aligned groups in Western countries, shifting focus away from alleged human rights violations.

The Bengali Hindu Adarsha Sangha (BHAS) UK said the protest aimed to encourage international engagement, including by the British government, and urged Bangladesh’s interim administration led by Chief Adviser Mohammad Yunus to uphold constitutional protections for minorities.

“The minority communities of Bangladesh are facing long-standing concerns over discrimination, violence, murder and demographic decline,” a BHAS UK spokesperson said.

The protest comes amid heightened concern over violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. Earlier this month, Dipu Chandra Das was set on fire by a mob following unverified allegations of blasphemy. Days later, another Hindu man, Amrit Mandal, was beaten to death in Kalimohor Union, according to local authorities.

India has formally raised the issue, with the Ministry of External Affairs stating, “The unremitting hostility against minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Christians, and Buddhists at the hands of extremists, is a matter of grave concern.”