SEMINAR ON BANGLADESH HUMAN RIGHTS HELD IN UK PARLIAMENT
4 November 2026A high-level seminar titled 'Hope for Unity, Peace and Justice: The Situation of Hindus in Bangladesh' was held at the House of Commons on Tuesday, 3rd November 2026.The event was hosted by Jas Athwal MP (Ilford South) in Committee Room 14, and sponsored by The Secular Bangladesh Movement, UK.
The discussion brought together parliamentarians, academics, human rights activists and community representatives to discuss the democratic and human rights situation in Bangladesh, with a focus on how the UK can support free and fair elections and promote equal treatment and protection of all citizens. Among the parliamentarians present was Gurinder Josan MP (Smethwick).
The panel featured Dr. Nowrin Tamanna - University of Reading, Pushpita Gupta - President of Secular Bangladesh Movement UK, Rana Meher - Teacher and Human Rights Activist, and Cllr Jasmin Chowdhury - Senior Public Health Practitioner, Public Health Wales. This was followed by an interactive Q&A session with the audience.
In the concluding remarks of the seminar, it was stated, "Unity, peace and justice depend on the equal dignity, safety and rights of every citizen. Protecting Hindus and other minoritised groups in Bangladesh is not a matter of favouring one community over another. It is a question of ensuring that constitutional guarantees and universal human rights are upheld in practice. A peaceful and democratic Bangladesh requires institutions that protect all citizens, investigate abuses impartially, hold perpetrators accountable and ensure that religious, ethnic, Indigenous and other minoritised communities can participate fully and safely in public life.
The UK can support these objectives through constructive diplomacy, parliamentary scrutiny, international cooperation and assistance that strengthens inclusive democratic institutions and the protection of human rights. The success of this discussion should be measured by the quality of the evidence considered, the practical recommendations developed and the progress that can subsequently be demonstrated. The event ended with a vote of thanks to Jas Athwal MP, Gurinder Josan MP, the speakers, guests and organisers.
