More than 2,000 members of the Bangladeshi diaspora in the United Kingdom staged a protest in central London on September 15, denouncing alleged human rights violations and what they termed the “undemocratic” actions of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh.
The demonstrators, who first gathered at Trafalgar Square, marched to Downing Street, where they submitted a memorandum addressed to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The letter voiced deep concern over the weakening of democratic institutions and what they described as systematic attacks on Bangladesh’s pluralistic political culture.
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“The UK Government cannot stand by while its close ally descends into lawlessness. The history of our two countries is intertwined,” the letter stated, adding that hundreds of thousands of British-Bangladeshis were urging London to take a proactive role in addressing the crisis.
The appeal called on the UK to hold the interim administration accountable for alleged human rights abuses, ensure free and fair elections in Bangladesh, and seek international support to safeguard democratic principles.
According to the Awami League, which highlighted the protest, the demonstration reflected growing frustration within the diaspora over the current political situation in Dhaka.
