Attacks on minorities in Bangladesh: Indian-American body urges Biden, Trump to intervene

FIIDS expresses concern over human rights violations in Bangladesh, urges Biden and Trump to protect minority communities.

An influential Indian-American organisation has urged U.S. President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump to call on the government of Bangladesh to protect the minority Hindu community in the country.

In separate letters to Biden and Trump, the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) on Wednesday (November 27, 2024) expressed grave concern over the escalating human rights violations against religious minorities in Bangladesh and the recent arrest of Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari.

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Bangladesh's minority Hindus have faced over 200 attacks, including those on their temples, since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, according to the FIIDS.

Das was arrested on Monday in a sedition case and later denied bail by a court, triggering protests by community members in various locations, including the capital Dhaka and the port city of Chattogram.

He was a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and was recently expelled.

Calling for an independent inquiry into the violence against minorities, Khanderao Kand, President and Chief of Policy and Strategy, FIIDS requested Biden to urge Bangladesh Chief Advisor Yunus Mohammed to release Das, provide protection to minority communities and publicly commit to upholding secular principles.