Amid rising violence against minority Hindus in Bangladesh, the United Nations has asked Dhaka to ensure the protection of human rights of all Bangladeshi citizens, regardless of religion. During a phone conversation with US National Security Advisor (NSA) Jake Sullivan, Bangladesh’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus expressed commitment to protecting human rights in the restive South Asian nation.
“Both leaders expressed their commitment to respecting and protecting the human rights of all people, regardless of religion,” the White House said in a statement about the call between Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Yunus.
The call comes less than a month before the Biden administration hands over power to Donald Trump, who will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20 next year. It also came in the backdrop of attacks on Bangladesh’s Hindu minorities and their places of worship.
The White House said that during the call Mr. Sullivan thanked Yunus for his leadership of Bangladesh during a challenging period.
“Sullivan reiterated the United States’ support for a prosperous, stable, and democratic Bangladesh and offered the United States’ continued support in addressing the challenges Bangladesh faces,” the readout of the call said.
Outrage over killing of Hindus in Bangladesh
Incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities as well as attacks on temples have increased in Bangladesh after the fall of Hasina government.
On December 13, the White House said that President Joe Biden was closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh and that the US would hold the country’s interim government accountable for ensuring the protection of religious and ethnic minorities.
The conversation between Mr Sullivan and Mr Yunus came days after Mr Thanedar, an Indian American Democratic congressman, urged the White House to strongly raise the issue of killing of Hindus and destruction of their temples in Bangladesh with the head of the country’s interim government. It happened later.
“The United States has a long history of supporting the oppressed and this issue should be no different. When we receive a global call for help, we must respond appropriately as the world’s human rights vanguard. We must urge Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus to fulfill his promise to restore peace and rebuild the nation on the principles of equality and justice, Thanedar said last week.
Advocacy group HinduAction said disturbing reports of brutal attacks against Hindus continue to emerge, especially over the past two weeks, as pleas for help come from affected people on the ground.
Utsav Chakraborty, executive director of HinduAction, said that what has happened in Bangladesh in the last five and a half months clearly shows that “Muhammad Yunus has failed to stop” his colleagues in Jamaat-e-Islami who are now fleeing across the country. They are burning temples and committing murders. People are raping women and committing atrocities against the priests and leaders of the Hindu community by imprisoning them.
Chakraborty said, “As Congress Thanedar has pointed out, imposing sanctions on Bangladesh depends on our current administration as well as the incoming administration.”
He said, “It is important that we clearly carve out a path for secure autonomous regions within the borders of Bangladesh for Buddhists and Christians as well as Hindus, all 15 million of them.”
