TENS of thousands of Hindus rallied today in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, demanding that the interim government protect them from attacks and harassment.

Around 30,000 protesters gathered in Chattogram as police and soldiers guarded the area.

Other rallies took place across the country, following claims by Hindu groups that thousands of attacks have occurred since early August, when prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s government was overthrown in a student-led uprising.

Interim leader Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel laureate, disputes the reported scale of attacks.

Hindus make up about 8 per cent of the country’s nearly 170 million people, with 91 per cent being Muslims.

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has reported over 2,000 attacks on Hindus since August.

Minority communities say the interim government has not protected them and that hard-line Islamists have become increasingly influential since Ms Hasina’s downfall.

Hindu activists have demonstrated nationwide since then, demanding a law to protect minorities, a ministry for minorities and a tribunal to prosecute the oppression of minorities.

Another rally is planned for tomorrow in Dhaka.