Indian-American lawmaker Shri Thanedar has flagged the situation in Bangladesh and urged the US government to use “every possible tool” to quell the violence against minorities.
“The crowds of the majority have destroyed Hindu temples, Hindu deities and Hindus who are practising their religion in peace. The time has now come for the United States Congress to act and the US government to act. Every possible tool in our hands needs to be used to ensure that such atrocities in Bangladesh against Hindus stop right away,” Thanedar said on the floor of the US House of Representatives.
Thanedar had raised concerns about alleged violence targeting Hindus in Bangladesh, particularly since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government.
“Since Bangladesh gained independence from Pakistan in 1971, there have been numerous instances of attacks on minority Hindus. Recently, a Hindu priest was arrested, and his lawyer was murdered,” he claimed.
On Thursday, the White House said that President Joe Biden is closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh and stressed that the United States would hold the country’s interim government accountable for safeguarding religious and ethnic minorities.
“The security situation in Bangladesh has been challenging since the removal of the former prime minister. We are working closely with the interim government to strengthen their law enforcement and security capabilities to address these issues,” said John Kirby, White House National Security Communications Advisor, during a press briefing.
Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has urged the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to prioritise the issue of violence against minorities, particularly Hindus in Bangladesh, during Senator Marco Rubio’s upcoming confirmation hearing for the position of secretary of state. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Rubio for the role, though the hearing date has not yet been announced.
In response to the concerns, a large group of Indian-Americans recently marched from the White House to the US Capitol to protest the alleged attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.