Protesters want Canada to pressure Bangladesh to fight extremism

CTV Montreal: Bangladesh protest Protesters from Montreal's Bangladeshi community are calling on Canada and other countries to pressure Bangladesh's government.

Protesters from Montreal's Bangladeshi community are calling on Canada and other countries to pressure Bangladesh's government to combat extremism.

They demonstrated Saturday at Cabot Square against the violence in their home country.

Extremism has become deeply rooted in Bangladesh, said protest coordinator Dipak Dhar.

“As a Canadian Bangladeshi, I'm requesting to the Canadian government, they put their eyes to the Bangladesh,” he said.

Protesters say the traditionally moderate Muslim-majority nation was founded on the principles of secularism, socialism and democracy but that Islamic extremism has grown there.

Worse, they say, is that the current government is complicit in the violence.

“The government seems to be indifferent to what is going on,” said protester Dr. Tarun Chakravorty. “A lot of torture, a lot of persecution has been taking place on the minorities. And a lot of killing has been taking place… This indifference of the government is tantamount to giving shelter to the criminals, to terrorists,” Chakravorty added.

The recent attack in Dhaka, they say, is not surprising following years of violence directed toward Bangladeshi minorities.

The protesters say women, religious minorities and progressive Muslims have been targeted and, in many cases, killed.

“This is the culmination of what has been taking place last two or three years because government took no effective measures to stop the killing,” said Chakravorty.

The Montreal protesters say western countries like Canada can pressure the current government in Bangladesh to do more.

Last year, Canada gave Bangladesh $142 million in foreign aid: the protesters argue Canada should use that aid to force the Bangladeshi government to step up the fight against terrorism.

“We urge the world bodies, world authorities and world communities to pressure the Bangladesh government to come to a situation where they can stop all this violence,” said protester Arun Datta.