Hindu Americans condemn attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, call for sanctions

New Delhi, Nov 28 Multiple incidents of atrocities and violent attacks on the minorities in Bangladesh, Hindus in particular, have drawn global condemnation with Hindu American groups writing letters to the US President-elect Donald Trump as well incumbent President Joe Biden, demanding protection of vulnerable communities in the South Asian nation and also sanctions against the interim government led by Muhammad Younus.

The Hindus for America First (HFAF) wrote an open letter to US President-elect Donald Trump, calling for halting US funding of projects in Bangladesh.

"Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian communities in Bangladesh have faced systemic violence and discrimination. We humbly ask that your administration make US aid contingent on the Bangladeshi government taking measurable action to protect these populations. Taxpayer dollars should never support governments that fail to safeguard their most vulnerable citizens," said HFAF Founder and Chairman Utsav Sanduja.

He further expressed concerns over Bangladeshi officials' ties to radical and extremist groups like Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam and said that these connections pose a threat to the security of not just the Asian sub-continent but the US also.

"We respectfully recommend visa restrictions and tighter oversight to prevent these ideologies from taking root on American soil," Sanduja said in his letter.

The Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), in separate letters to Joe Biden and Donald Trump, expressed grave concerns over escalating violence against religious minorities in Bangladesh and the recent arrest of Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari.

"The minority population, mainly Hindus, which constituted about 20 per cent of East Pakistan's population in 1947, now accounts for less than 8 per cent in Bangladesh, a stark reminder of the ongoing persecution," the FIIDS said in a letter to US President Joe Biden.

The influential Indian-American organisation sought to draw the attention of the Biden administration to growing attacks and persecution of Hindu minorities, stating that there have been more than 200 documented incidents of violence against Hindus including arson, mob attacks, desecration of temples and Hindu deities since the fall of Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh.

"US should urge Bangladesh chief adviser Muhammad Younus to release Chinmoy Krishna Das and provide protection to minority communities, besides calling for an independent enquiry into recent and historical violence against the minorities," it demanded in a letter to the US President.

Some Indian-American groups also held demonstrations in various US cities against the illegal arrest of ISKCON priest Chinmoy Krishna Das.

Das was arrested and subsequently booked in a sedition case by Bangladesh police, apparently for organising protests against state-sponsored oppression of Hindu minorities in the country.

Vishva Hindu Parishad America (VHPA) has also called upon the US administration to safeguard the vulnerable minorities in Bangladesh.

VHPA general secretary Amitabh Mittal said, "The silence of global media regarding the ongoing atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh is deafening. The recent arrest of an ISKCON priest and the violent attacks on Hindu temples underscore the alarming rise in religious intolerance."