US lawmaker focuses on Bangladesh government

US Congressman Brad Sherman issued a statement on Tuesday saying that the Bangladeshi interim government led by Mohammad Yunus has the responsibility to ensure the safety of the Hindu minority community in the country. Sherman also said that the interim government of Bangladesh should strongly and effectively address the protests organized by thousands of minority Hindus against the recent attacks and harassment. He particularly supported the demand for an investigation into the killings and rights violations that took place in the violent riots before and after the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This demand was made by the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk.

Brad Sherman called on the current administration to take concrete steps to end the violence against the Hindu community. Recently, Hindus of Bangladesh rallied outside the White House to demand the release of priest Chinmay Krishna Das and ensure the safety of the community. This shows that the community is seriously concerned about security and is expecting immediate action from the interim government. Sherman says that the interim government of Bangladesh should ensure that all minority communities are protected and necessary steps are taken to prevent any kind of violence or persecution.

While giving a statement in the Lok Sabha on the violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said that the Indian High Commission is closely monitoring the situation in Dhaka. He reiterated that the primary responsibility of the interim government of Bangladesh is to ensure the safety of minorities. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also expressed his concern on this matter and said that the interim government should fulfill its responsibility towards the safety of all minorities. He expressed concern over the increase in incidents of extremist rhetoric, violence and provocation and objected to the media exaggerating these incidents. Apart from this, the Ministry of External Affairs has appealed for a ‘fair, just and transparent legal process’ in the case of religious leader Chinmay Krishna Das, as he was arrested on charges of sedition.