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| Photo Credit: PTI

Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board Chairman Mufti Shamoon Qasmi on Wednesday (December 11, 2024) condemned the alleged atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh, saying it goes against the basic principles of peaceful co-existence taught by every faith.

“I am deeply shocked by reports of atrocities against the Hindu minority community in Bangladesh. Such acts of violence and injustice are not only inhuman but also against the basic principles of peace, co-existence and mutual respect that every faith and civilised society upholds,” he said in a statement.

“Targeting any minority community is a serious violation of human rights and a threat to the social fabric of any nation,” Mr. Qasmi said.

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“As the Chairman of the Uttarakhand Madrasa Education Board and a strong advocate of communal harmony and inter-faith dialogue, I strongly condemn these attacks. It is imperative for all governments, including Bangladesh, to ensure the safety, dignity and rights of every citizen, regardless of their religious or ethnic identity,” Mr. Qasmi said.

He called upon the Bangladeshi authorities to take “prompt and decisive” action against the perpetrators of atrocities against the Hindus. “I urge the Bangladesh government to demonstrate its commitment to the principle of providing safe environment for all minority communities by taking prompt and decisive action against the perpetrators. It should also implement measures to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.

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A large number of Indian Americans held a march from the White House to the U.S. Capitol over attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.

Raising slogans such as “We want Justice” and “Protect Hindus” the peaceful demonstrators urged the Joe Biden administration and the incoming Donald Trump administration to ask the new government in Bangladesh to take steps to protect Hindus but also take action against those responsible for this.

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The march was held on Monday (December 9, 2024) over attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. Organisers of the event — StopHinduGenocide.org, Bangladeshi Diaspora organisations and HinduACTion — demanded that the companies in the U.S. stop buying garments from Bangladesh, which is heavily dependent on its exports to the U.S.

“This march is not just a cry for justice; it is a demand for accountability. Today, the Bangladeshi Hindu community and the larger Hindu diaspora from the Indian subcontinent has come in support of the Bangladesh Hindu community because there is continuing violence going on in Bangladesh, specifically in Chittagong and Rangpur area, as well as in some other parts of the country,” said Utsav Chakrabarti, from HinduACTion.

“Hindus are being targeted, their temples are being burnt down and destroyed. Their houses are being looted. Chinmoy Das, who is one of the Hindu leaders in the Chittagong area, has been incarcerated and is facing torture. The community around the world is extremely worried about it. So, people are trying to make sure that the White House and people in America are aware of what’s going on in Bangladesh,” Mr. Chakrabarti said.

“We have gathered here in front of the White House to ask for justice for Bangladeshi Hindus…,” Narasimha Koppula from Virginia said. Srikanth Akunuri from HinduAction said unspeakable tragedies are happening for the Bangladeshi Hindus. “We also demand that ISKCON leader Chinmoy Das be released,” he said.

Prasenjit Dutta, head of a Bangladeshi community organisation from Atlantic City demanded the release of ISKCON leader Chinmoy Das.

“I don’t know why the Biden administration is not doing anything. We are asking the White House to act,” he said. Mohinder Gulati, president of Global Hindu Temple Network, said the atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh are an attack against this minority community.

“Bangladesh should be debarred from sending peacekeeping forces to other countries. We have also written to the United Nations Human Rights Organisation, UN Women, and UNICEF that all the international obligations that Bangladesh has, that they should be held accountable for those obligations,” he said.

“World Bank, Asian Development Bank, IMF, they are lending to Bangladesh. They have their own policies. These organisations have their gender justice policies and social justice policies. They should ask Bangladesh to comply with the policies of the lending organisations before they can lend,” he said.

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| Photo Credit: The Hindu

Hotels in Barak Valley of Assam have announced that they would not host any Bangladesh national till attacks on Hindus and other minorities in the neighbouring country stop.

Barak Valley, which comprises three districts of Cachar, Sribhumi (formerly Karimganj) and Hailakandi, shares a 129-km-long border with Bangladesh’s Sylhet region.

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“The situation of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh is concerning. We cannot accept this in any way. We have, therefore, decided to stop hosting any national from that country in all the three districts of Barak Valley until the situation improves and atrocities on the Hindus stop. This is our form of protest,” Barak Valley Hotel and Restaurant Association president Babul Rai told reporters on Friday (December 6, 2024.)

“The people of Bangladesh must ensure that stability returns to the country. Only if the situation improves, we can reconsider our decision,” he said.

A few days ago, Bajrang Dal had asked organisers of an ongoing global expo in Silchar to close down two stalls selling Bangladeshi products as a protest against atrocities on Hindus in the neighbouring country. Their demand was accepted.

Bajrang Dal protestors had also gone to the Bangladesh Visa Centre in Silchar and demanded that the name ‘Bangladesh’ be removed from the signboard.

There have been widespread protests in all the three districts of Barak Valley against the alleged atrocities on minorities in Bangladesh and arrest of Hindu monk Chinmaya Krishna Das.

The case of Bangladesh was a little bit different and India had also benefitted from joint projects. File photo
| Photo Credit: ANI

“India was not engaged in financial assistance and projects with neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bangladesh with a view to controlling these countries’ internal political dynamics,” External Affairs S. Jaishankar said. He made these remarks while answering questions after a discussion at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York.

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The Minister said the financial assistance of around $4.5 billion that India has given Sri Lanka was not offered with conditionalities, referring to a bail-out given to Sri Lanka at the peak of the island nation’s economic crisis in 2022.

“It was not that we had a political conditionality which accompanied that. I mean, we were doing it as a good neighbour who did not want to see that kind of economic meltdown at our doorstep,” he said, responding to a question about an apparent lack of benefit in return for unconditional aid provided to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

“So I think what happens politically in Sri Lanka, that’s for their politics to work with at the end of the day,” the Minister said, adding that it was not India’s intention to suggest that the political dynamics in its neighbouring countries ought to adhere to what was better for India.

The questioner had asked about attacks on minorities, specifically Hindus and Buddhists, in Bangladesh, after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina administration. The Modi administration has in several instances raised the issue of attacks on Hindu minorities and temples in other countries with the governments in these countries.

The case of Bangladesh was a little bit different, as per Mr. Jaishankar and India had also benefitted from joint projects.

“So I would urge you not to be deterministic about it, he said, adding, “It’s not as though India is seeking to control every political move of every neighbour.”