Washington is witnessing growing calls for intervention as a prominent Hindu advocacy organization raises the alarm over escalating violence against minorities in Bangladesh. The group, Hindu Action, highlighted the dire situation for Hindus amid political shifts, drawing parallels to longstanding persecution in Pakistan.
At a recent exhibition in the capital, Hindu Action’s Utsav Chakravarty addressed lawmakers and staff, emphasizing immersive exhibits, films, and direct engagements to spotlight the plight of Hindus in South Asia. ‘The conditions for religious minorities, particularly Hindus, have deteriorated sharply in recent months,’ Chakravarty warned, urging the US Congress and administration to respond more forcefully.
In Pakistan, where Hindus form barely 1.5% of the population despite ancient roots, abductions, forced conversions, and trafficking plague the community, especially young girls. Hindu Action is documenting stories from Hindu refugees who fled to India and working on the ground to rescue victims.
Chakravarty recalled Bangladesh’s bloody 1971 liberation from Pakistan, where extremists killed nearly 2.8 million Hindus in just 10 months. Today, with Jamaat-e-Islami gaining ground ahead of February elections, public beatings, humiliations, murders, and burnings of Hindus are rampant, sparking global outrage.
The group plans to brief Congress around February 10, pushing for aggressive advocacy backed by facts. US lawmakers have shown insufficient sensitivity, a gap Hindu Action aims to bridge by ensuring the White House and State Department act to protect these vulnerable communities.