Washington: Two prominent Indian-American lawmakers, Shri Thanedar and Raja Krishnamoorthi, have sought the direct intervention of the United States to stop "coordinated attacks" against the Hindu minority in Bangladesh that have increased dramatically since the ouster of former prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. They argued that instability in the region "fuelled by religious intolerance and violence" is not in the interest of America or its allies.
As per the data provided by two Hindu organisations in a letter to interim government chief Muhammad Yunus, at least 205 attacks have taken place on members of minority communities in 52 districts since Monday, when Sheikh Hasina (76) resigned and fled to India following widespread protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs.
In a letter dated August 9 to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Congressman Shri Thanedar said he is not alone in his stance against the atrocities being committed against Hindus in Bangladesh. Many in the international community, including some from his own district, have condemned the violent actions being committed against minority groups in Bangladesh.
Calls for 'temporary protected status' for Bangladeshi Hindus
Thanedar wrote,"With Muhammad Yunus stepping up as the interim Prime Minister for Bangladesh, the United States has an obligation to assist this new government, to ensure that violence and civil unrest comes to an end. I urge the Biden administration to grant persecuted Bangladesh Hindus and other religious minorities temporary protected status as refugees."
A number of Hindu temples, households and businesses were vandalised, women assaulted and at least two Hindu leaders affiliated with the Awami League party headed by Hasina were killed in the violence in Bangladesh after she fled the country, according to community leaders in Dhaka. This has become a major challenge for the Yunus-led caretaker government.
Thanedar urged the Biden administration to work closely with Yunus and his government to end the coordinated attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. On the previous day, Raja Krishnamoorthi also wrote a letter to Blinken regarding the fluid situation in the South Asian country, citing eyewitness reports of rising coordinated anti-Hindu violence.
"Sadly, this is not the first time that anti-government protests in Bangladesh have metastasised into anti-Hindu violence. The anti-Hindu riots in October 2021 left nine people dead amidst the destruction of hundreds of homes, businesses and temples...In 2017, more than 107 Hindus were killed and 37 'disappeared'...following the International Crimes Tribunal conviction of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delwar Sayeedi for war crimes," Krishnamoorthi said, appealing Blinken to exert US influence to help end the violence and hold perpetrators to justice.
Protests over anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh
Hindus comprise about 8 per cent of Bangladesh's population of 170 million, making them particularly vulnerable to discrimination and violence. They have traditionally been the supporters of Hasina's Awami League party, which identifies itself as largely secular, while the Jamaat-e-Islami has links to Pakistan and is involved in several attacks on Hindus.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people hit the streets of Dhaka protesting against the attacks on the country's minority Hindus, chanting slogans of "Who are we, Bengali Bengali", appealing for peace as they blocked an intersection of the city. The protestors carried posters and placards, demanding Bangladeshi minorities to be "saved".
Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad on Friday presented the data in an open letter to the Nobel Laureate, detailing 205 attacks on minorities since Hasina's ouster. Alarming visuals had earlier surfaced on social media showing as Hindu temples and houses are under attack in Dhaka, Chittagong, Cumilla, Thakurgaon, Noakhali, Bagerhat, Nazirpur, Firozepur, Sylhet and Madaripur areas of Bangladesh. As many as 800 Hindus in the Thakurgaon district were forced to flee their homes in fear of their safety as their houses were looted and burnt.
Notably, over 230 people were killed in the incidents of violence in Bangladesh, that erupted across the country following the fall of the Hasina government. With this, the deaths count rose to 560 since the anti-quota protests first started in mid-July.
(with inputs from agencies)
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