Bangladeshi American Hindus in Michigan rally for minorities attacked in Bangladesh

Hundreds of Bangladeshi American Hindus and their supporters held two protests in metro Detroit on Sunday in support of minority groups in Bangladesh under attack over the past week after the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

In Warren and Hamtramck, two cities with growing Bangladeshi American communities, they held up posters to bring attention to the wave of violence that has swept across Bangladesh targeting non-Muslim groups such as Hindus and Christians. Some of the signs read: "Protect Hindus from extremists," "Stop killing Hindus," "Protect Hindu rights in Bangladesh" and "Stand together for the minorities."

One of the protests was held outside Michigan Kalibari, a Hindu temple in Warren with a predominantly Bangladeshi American congregation. Hindu, Jewish and Christian leaders, along with some politicians, spoke at the event near Nine Mile Road as some vehicles driving by honked horns in support. A large banner in front held by several women dressed in saris read: "Stop Ethnic Cleansing of Hindus in Bangladesh."

Shyama Haldar, the president of Michigan Kalibari, said some of his family members on his wife's side have been affected by the violence last week, but fortunately no one has been killed among his cousins.

"Her parents' place was vandalized," Haldar said. "Two cars were set on fire, the motorcycles all were burned."

But some leaders in Bangladesh intervened and prevented the attack on his in-laws from intensifying, he said. Haldar said many in his congregation have similar stories, but has not heard of anyone locally who had a family member killed. The protesters expressed concern that religious extremists are now taking power in Bangladesh, which could further decrease the country's minority populations. In metro Detroit, there are Bangladeshi American Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist houses of worship, including four Hindu temples with a predominantly Bangladeshi membership. There are also some Bangladeshi American Christians who worship at area churches.

There are close to 16,000 residents in Michigan of Bangladeshi descent, with about a quarter of them, 4,113, in Hamtramck, according to 2020 census data.

U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Detroit, whose district includes Hamtramck, released a statement Thursday on X on the violence in Bangladesh, condemning "the persecution of minority populations, including Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians. ... I implore every Bangladeshi, from the leadership to the people, to put an end to the violence plaguing their country. I am especially concerned about reports of attacks targeting the country's Hindu minority. Accounts of temples destroyed, homes leveled, and individuals targeted are as disturbing as they are reprehensible." On Friday, Thanedar followed up his statement with a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging Bangladesh's new leaders to stop the violence against its minorities. Other members of Congress such as Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the Senate Majority Leader, also released statements.

"Reports of anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh are appalling," Schumer said. "The interim government under Dr. Yunus must move to establish order and protect all the people of Bangladesh as it moves to new elections."

In addition to Sunday's rallies in Michigan, there have been similar protests in recent days in California, Texas, Washington D.C., and New York City, according to Hindu American advocacy groups.

Lakshmi Vadlamudi, an executive board member of the Hindu Community Relations Council of Michigan, attended the Warren protest.

"We've been seeing and hearing about some horrible things that have been happening in Bangladesh," she said. "The videos are absolutely horrible. We have friends who have families back there. I can't imagine what they're going through right now. ... We need everyone to start paying attention."

Another protest was held later Sunday in Hamtramck with signs reading "Justice for Hindus" and "Hindu Lives Matter," a livestream showed. Md Rabbi Alam, a Bangladeshi American activist who is Muslim and supportive of Hasina, attended the rally to show his support. Alam held two separate rallies over the past week, on the steps of the state Capitol building in Lansing and at the Coleman Young center in downtown Detroit, to say supporters of Hasina are being attacked.

On Monday, hundreds of protesters who opposed Hasina had a different message as they poured into the streets of Detroit and Hamtramck celebrating Hasina's removal. They described her as a tyrant who had crushed student protests in recent months.

Troy City Councilman Hirak Chanda, who has ancestral roots in Bangladesh and West Bengal in India, spoke at the Warren rally. He asked "the State Department to put pressure on the interim government of Bangladesh to make sure that the rights of the minorities are protected. We want peace and no loss of human life."

The Warren rally also featured some talks by Republican candidates Scott Farida, the GOP nominee for Oakland County prosecutor; Nikola "Nik" Gjonaj, the GOP nominee for Oakland County executive, and Sunny Reddy, running for the board of Wayne State University.

Rabbi Asher Lopatin, a leader at Kehillat Etz Chayim synagogue in Oak Park and an interfaith leader formerly with the Jewish Community Relations Council/American Jewish Committee of metro Detroit, attended the rally to show his support.

"The Jewish community stands with the Hindu community and Hindu lives matter," Lopatin told the crowd.

Protesters called upon elected officials in Michigan to speak up for minorities in Bangladesh.

"I'm here because there are a lot of Hindus originating from Bangladesh who are very concerned about family and houses of worship back home," said Padma Kuppa, of Troy, a former state House representative. "I'm here along with many others of the South Asian diaspora who are concerned about the lack of attention by local, state and national elected leaders to the plight of what's going on there."

Jhulan Chatterjee, of Farmington Hills, held up a sign that read: "Save Hindus in Bangladesh."

"It's overwhelming to see how Hindus are being targeted," said Chatterjee, who is part of the Bengali community. Bengali is the most popular language in Bangladesh and in West Bengal, a part of India that borders Bangladesh. "It's devastating to see and hear the videos."

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com or X @nwarikoo