US Congressman Sherman calls on Bangladesh to protect Hindu minority

WASHINGTON: US Congressman Brad Sherman issued a statement on Tuesday calling on Bangladesh’s interim government to protect its Hindu minority and address the ongoing protests by Hindus and minority communities over recent attacks and harassment.

Sherman called for an investigation from the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, regarding killings and other abuses during the unrest that followed the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

The congressman urged the current administration to take action against violence targeting the Hindu community and demonstrate leadership in ensuring their protection.

The #Bangladesh government has a duty to protect all citizens, particularly the minority #Hindu community, against violence. I am outraged by recent attacks against Bangladesh’s Hindu community and urge Bangladesh’s government to take serious action to end anti-Hindu violence.

— Congressman Brad Sherman (@BradSherman) December 3, 2024

“Bangladesh’s interim government has an absolute obligation to protect its Hindu minority and meaningfully address the protests of thousands of minority Hindus in outcry over the recent wave of attacks and harassment. With the calls for an investigation from the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, for killings and other rights violations during the violent unrest leading up to and after the fall of Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the current administration must demonstrate leadership in eliminating acts of violence against the Hindu community”, the statement read.

The situation in Bangladesh has been marked by increasing violence against minority communities after the arrest of a spiritual leader, Chinmoy Krishna Das, over sedition charges and for allegedly hoisting a saffron flag above Bangladesh’s national flag in Chittagong on October 25. The arrest followed a complaint filed on October 31 by a local politician that accused Chinmoy Das and others of disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag during a rally of the Hindu community.

Meanwhile, a Bangladesh court set January 2, 2025, as the next hearing date for Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Das, stating that he will remain in jail on alleged sedition charges until then.

The Daily Star Bangladesh reported that the Chattogram court deferred to January 2 the hearing on the bail petition of Chinmoy Krishna Das. Chattogram Metropolitan Session Judge Saiful Islam set the new date for the hearing as the defence lawyer was absent from the court.

Chittagong Metropolitan Police’s Additional Deputy Commissioner (Prosecution) Mofizur Rahman later confirmed this information to Bangladeshi media. (ANI)