Julian Leeser (Berowra, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to condemn the senseless violence perpetrated against Hindus in Bangladesh. Recent celebrations of the Hindu festival of Durga Puja have been overshadowed by the atrocities perpetrated by the violent extremists, fuelled by social media misinformation. In recent days there have been widespread reports of killings, sexual violence, and arson against homes and businesses owned by Hindus and desecration of temples. Human rights groups in Bangladesh have documented 3,600 attacks against Hindus in Bangladesh since 2013, although the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council says the number could be much higher than that. The report shows that there have been 550 cases of vandalism and arson against Hindu homes, 440 against shops owned by Hindus and 1,670 against Hindu temples and places of worship. Community leaders have said that the violence of last week had been the worst mob violence against Hindus in Bangladesh's history.

I've spoken many times in this place about the persecution of minority faiths in countries around the world, and the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh is no different. It's important that all necessary steps are taken to ensure that the perpetrators of this senseless violence in Bangladesh are brought to justice. I'm pleased to see that the Bangladesh government has denounced the violence. In a statement, they said that Bangladesh unequivocally condemns the incidents and took serious note of the reactions from within and outside the Hindu community. Reports have shown that the Hindu community in Bangladesh, which makes up approximately 10 per cent of the population, is shrinking as people flee violence. I call on the Bangladeshi government to take more action to protect its citizens now.

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