Sydney Hosts Mobile Protest Campaign Highlighting Minority Rights in Bangladesh

Sydney, 21 January: A day-long mobile protest and awareness campaign was held across central Sydney on Tuesday, organised by The Australian Federation for Ethnic and Religious Minorities in Bangladesh Ltd (AFERMB), drawing public and media attention to alleged human rights abuses and democratic backsliding in Bangladesh.

In North Sydney, the protest passes SBS and Nine News, continuing its call for justice and accountability.

The campaign featured a mobile digital billboard mounted on a truck that travelled through several high-profile locations across Sydney. The billboard displayed messages including “Stop Genocide of Hindus in Bangladesh,” “Stop Ethnic Cleansing in Bangladesh,” “Hindus in Bangladesh are Killed by Mob,” “Stop Killing Hindus, Buddhists and Other Minorities in Bangladesh,” “Free Hindu Monk Sree Chinmoya Prabhu,” “Hindu Life Matters,” “Yunus is a Killer,” and “Bring Back Democracy in Bangladesh.”

The protest convoy commenced at 12:00 pm from Parliament House, Sydney, before proceeding to the Sydney Opera House at 1:00 pm and Sydney Town Hall at 2:00 pm, where the messages attracted the attention of pedestrians, commuters, and tourists. Between 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm, the convoy stopped near major broadcast outlets, including ABC, Seven Network, and Network 10, in an effort to amplify the campaign through national media exposure. The protest then moved to North Sydney between 5:00 pm and 5:30 pm, passing SBS and Nine Network, before concluding with a return drive to the depot later in the evening.

Community Leaders Speak Out

Speaking to OTN Bangla, Dr Swapan Paul, Chair of the current Executive Committee of Bangladesh Society for Puja and Culture Incorporated (CPCL), said the awareness program was driven by longstanding frustration over official inaction.

“The Bangladesh government has consistently denied the persecution of minorities and has failed to put in place adequate protective measures or security,” Dr Paul said. “Today’s awareness program is therefore an attempt to contribute to a collective international initiative that brings global attention to these ongoing failures.”

Meanwhile, Amal Datta, Director of Australian Federation for Ethnic and Religious Minorities in Bangladesh, warned that Bangladesh is facing a critical moment in its democratic trajectory.

“It is increasingly evident that Bangladesh’s 13th National Election risks becoming a turning point, not toward democratic renewal, but toward deepening ethno-religious exclusion that threatens the country’s social fabric,” he said.

Mr Datta also expressed personal concern for family members and loved ones living in Bangladesh, noting that the continuing reports of violence and intimidation have created a climate of fear among minority communities at home and within the diaspora.

Organisers say the campaign aims to raise global awareness and pressure international actors to act on minority rights in Bangladesh. Photo: Supplied

Call for International Attention

Organisers said the Sydney campaign was designed to raise international awareness, engage Australian media, and urge governments, human rights organisations, and the global community to closely monitor the situation facing religious minorities and democratic institutions in Bangladesh.