Washington, Dec 4 An influential US lawmaker has said the interim Bangladeshi government led by Muhammad Yunus has an absolute obligation to protect the minority Hindu community in the country after the fall of the democratically-elected Sheikh Hasina-led government earlier this year.
"Bangladesh's interim government has an absolute obligation to protect its Hindu minority and meaningfully address the protests of thousands of minority Hindus in outcry over the recent wave of attacks and harassment," Congressman Brad Sherman said on Tuesday in a statement.
"With the calls for an investigation from the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk for killings and other rights violations during the violent unrest leading up to and after the fall of Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the current administration must demonstrate leadership in eliminating acts of violence against the Hindu community," Sherman said.
Over the weekend, Hindus from Bangladesh organised a rally at the White House demanding the release of Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das and protection for Hindus of Bangladesh.
Utsav Chakrabarti, executive director of HinduACTion called on the outgoing Biden-Harris administration to take all possible measures to prevent further escalation of violence by radical Islamists against the Hindus in Bangladesh.
"Based on the feedback we are getting from #Bangladesh, Hindu monk and civil rights defender Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, who has been incarcerated by the interim government, faces a serious threat to his life, in custody," he said.
Responding to written questions in Lok Sabha about violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka was closely monitoring the situation. He reiterated that the primary responsibility for the safety of minorities in Bangladesh lies with the interim government in the neighbouring country.
"Our position on the matter is clear -- the interim government in Dhaka must live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities. We are concerned at the surge of extremist rhetoric, and increasing incidents of violence and provocation. These developments cannot be dismissed only as media exaggeration," Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
While expressing concern over extremist rhetoric, MEA also called for a "fair, just and transparent legal process" in the case of religious leader Chinmoy Krishna Das who was arrested on sedition charges.
Amid calls in Dhaka for a ban on ISKCON, with which Das was associated earlier, the Indian government also threw in its lot with the group as MEA Spokesperson Jaiswal said that the group is a "globally well-regarded organisation with a strong record of social service".
On the arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das, MEA said as far as cases against individuals were concerned, India took note of the legal processes that are underway.
"We expect that these processes will deal with the case in a just, fair, and transparent manner, ensuring full respect for the legal rights of all concerned."
In Lok Sabha, EAM Jaishankar said the Indian government has seen several reports of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities, their homes and business establishments, and of attacks on temples and religious places, including in August 2024, across Bangladesh.
--IANS
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