Durban — The Department of International Relations and Co-operation has called for calm after Hindu communities in KwaZulu-Natal demanded the government close down the Bangladesh Embassy in a picket on Sunday in Phoenix.
The Hindu communities also threatened to close it themselves if the government did not intervene.
This after Bangladesh recently hogged international headlines following the ousting of prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who was forced to flee the country amid widespread violent protests demanding she step down.
Speaking to the Daily News on Sunday, one of the organisers of the picket, Mervin Govender, accused the government of being hypocritical and siding with Muslims “because Hindus are poor, while Muslims are rich”.
He said he could not believe that the government had not issued even one statement condemning the violence and atrocities currently taking place in Bangladesh, saying this was because the victims were Hindus.
Last week, Bangladesh was in turmoil. Former prime minister Hasina was forced to flee the country in a helicopter as protesters were closing in on her residence.
On Thursday, an interim government was installed under the leadership of Mohammed Yunis. The protest was initially started by students over quotas accorded to freedom fighters in government jobs but escalated, calling for the prime minister to resign.
Dirco spokesperson, Chrispin Phiri, said South Africa has noted political developments in Bangladesh.
“We call for calm and urge the transitional government to pursue peaceful mechanisms as they resolve the political challenges,” he said.
Chairperson of the Phoenix Settlement Trust, Ela Gandhi, said that a revolution against a regime is taking place in Bangladesh. The Arab Spring happened as did many other revolutions around the world.
What is clear is that discontent with governments is spreading across the globe, she said.
“Some are populist, anarchical movements which wreak havoc for themselves and their countries,” she said.
The Trust condemns the destruction and violence, the killing and looting, generally and in particular those acts committed against other communities based on prejudices on the basis of religion or ethnicity, she said.
“We also plead for restraint from spreading propagandist news aimed to instigate inter-faith acrimony.
“We who have seen the effects of prejudice and racialism know the disastrous effects of harbouring and propagating prejudice.
“Let us therefore desist from spreading hatred against any groups but call for an end to violence, acts of cruelty, destruction and looting,” Gandhi said.
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