US lawmakers urge intervention to halt violence against Hindus in Bangladesh

As the situation continues to unfold, the international community is watching closely, with hopes that diplomatic efforts will bring an end to the violence and restore peace to the region

PRAVASISAMWAD.COM

In light of recent violence against minority Hindus in Bangladesh, two influential Indian-American lawmakers have called for direct US intervention. They emphasize that the ongoing instability in Bangladesh, exacerbated by religious intolerance and violence, poses a significant threat to the interests of the United States and its allies.

Since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on August 5, 2024, Bangladesh has witnessed at least 205 incidents of violence against minority communities across 52 districts, according to reports from the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad. Thousands of Hindus in Bangladesh have sought refuge in neighboring India to escape the escalating violence.

• Both lawmakers underscored that political violence and the targeting of minority Hindus in Bangladesh are not new phenomena

• Hindus, who constitute only 8% of Bangladesh’s population, have long been vulnerable to discrimination and violence

• The current instability, they argue, is detrimental not only to Bangladesh but also to the broader interests of the United States and its allies

In a letter dated August 9, Congressman Shri Thanedar urged US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to take decisive action. He noted that many within the international community, including members of his own district, have condemned the atrocities committed against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. Thanedar called on the Biden administration to grant temporary protected status to persecuted Hindus and other religious minorities fleeing Bangladesh.

Muhammad Yunus, the 84-year-old Nobel laureate, was sworn in as the interim Prime Minister of Bangladesh on Thursday. In his letter, Thanedar urged Blinken to collaborate closely with Yunus to end the violence and restore stability. He emphasized that the United States must support the new Bangladeshi government during this critical period to ensure that the violence is brought to an end.

Hindu temples, homes, and businesses have been targeted, with women assaulted and at least two Hindu leaders affiliated with the Awami League party, led by Sheikh Hasina, killed in the violence following her departure from the country, according to community leaders in Dhaka.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi echoed these concerns in a separate letter to Blinken on August 8. He highlighted the “coordinated” nature of the attacks and urged the US to engage directly with the interim Bangladeshi government to bring the perpetrators to justice. Krishnamoorthi referenced past incidents of anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh, including the 2021 riots that left nine people dead and the 2017 attacks following the war crimes tribunal’s conviction of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Sayeedi.

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