‘Leave Bangladesh or pay money to save your life’, student claims ransom is being demanded from Hindus

Bangladesh Hindu Crisis: The increasing attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh are a matter of concern. Even after Sheikh Hasina left the country, the violent incidents are not stopping there. The rioters are especially targeting Hindus. According to a TOI report, Nimay Halder (name changed), who came to India on a student visa, claims that last week, he received several threatening calls, asking him to pay protection money of several lakh rupees or leave Bangladesh.

According to a Times of India report, Nimay Halder (name changed) had come from Bangladesh on a visa to study at an engineering college in Maharashtra. His elderly parents live in a colony in the port city of Chittagong, where other Hindus also live. Halder said that the rioters are identifying the houses of minorities and calling the owners of those houses for a ransom of 5 lakh taka.

What are Hindus and other minorities going through?

Nimay Halder said that a person called and introduced himself as a member of an Islamic group and angrily said, “If you cannot pay protection money then leave the country or face death.”

Why are rioters targeting Hindus?

He said that we were asked to keep the money ready. He told that other people in the area had also received similar calls. Haldar said, ‘I moved to Dhaka after getting a job here, but my parents and relatives live in Chittagong.’ He says that mobs of Muslim groups are killing and looting the houses of Hindus in rural Bangladesh, but people living in cities are safe. Haldar said that the ransom calls have shocked and disturbed us.

Bangladesh is not for minorities- Muslim rioters

Halder told TOI that the callers said that Bangladesh does not belong to minorities and if they want to stay here, they will have to pay 5 lakh taka in the name of protection money. He said that no one has come to take the ransom yet, but the minorities are scared because their phone numbers were tracked by the callers.

Studied engineering while living in India

Nimay Halder lives in India with his uncle’s family, who migrated during the 1971 war, when minorities were targeted by the Pakistan army and its militia.

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