Washington, February 10 – A powerful alliance of Hindu and multi-faith organizations has sounded the alarm over escalating violence against minority Hindus in Bangladesh. With elections looming, attacks have surged, drawing global scrutiny and urgent calls for intervention.
The Global Hindu Coalition, spearheaded by the Hindus Advancing Human Rights Initiative (HAHRI) under HinduPACT, has issued a scathing letter signed by over 125 organizations and individuals from 15 countries. They demand immediate international action to protect Hindus facing a relentless pattern of violence, threats, and forced evictions.
HAHRI Executive Director Rahul Sur emphasized that Bangladesh’s Hindus are indigenous people entitled to protection under the 2007 UN Convention on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. ‘What we’re witnessing is the opposite – a systematic human rights crisis rooted in impunity,’ Sur stated.
The letter details gruesome incidents, including mob lynchings, temple and home attacks, and the blatant use of blasphemy accusations to target Hindus. A stark example is the public murder of Deepu Chandra Das on December 18, 2024, falsely accused of blasphemy – a video of the killing went viral, shocking the world.
Data reveals 2,673 attacks on minorities between August 2024 and November 30, 2024, following the fall of the previous government. Fear grips the Hindu community, which has shrunk from 22% of Bangladesh’s population in 1951 to under 7% today, with around 230,000 Hindus fleeing annually.
HinduPACT Founder Ajay Shah highlighted the demographic collapse as a damning indictment. ‘A democracy can’t selectively safeguard rights. This shrinkage due to persistent violence signals failure of both government and global systems,’ Shah said.
The coalition urges the US to dispatch a fact-finding team, impose trade penalties, offer refugee protection, and review Bangladesh’s UN peacekeeping role. They call on the EU for punitive tariffs and investigative missions, and the UN to condemn atrocities and launch independent probes.
Grassroots momentum builds with rallies in over 25 US cities and a petition to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, signed by thousands worldwide. Sur noted, ‘This isn’t just policymakers – everyday citizens of all faiths demand universal human rights standards.’
The plight of Bangladesh’s religious minorities has long troubled international forums, from UN reports to US Congress hearings. India and the US have repeatedly raised concerns in regional and multilateral settings, underscoring the need for decisive global response to halt this crisis.