Violence against Hindus in Bangladesh has reached a boiling point, prompting a global Hindu and multi-faith coalition to demand emergency measures from world powers. Post-election announcement, Hindus face near-daily brutality, fueling a humanitarian outcry.
The Hindus Advancing Human Rights Initiative (HAHRI), part of HinduPACT, rallied 125 organizations from 15 countries to sign a forceful appeal. It chronicles ongoing murders, mob violence, temple desecrations, and eviction drives – all under impunity.
Executive Director Rahul Sur invoked the UN Indigenous Rights Convention: ‘Hindus are Bangladesh’s original people, yet they suffer reversed protections in a patterned rights violation, not random chaos.’
Spotlight falls on the December 18, 2024, execution-style killing of Deepu Chandra Das, branded a blasphemer; the footage spread like wildfire online. Blasphemy pretexts mask systematic targeting, alongside assaults on sacred sites and residences.
Statistics are grim: 2,673 minority attacks from August to November 2024 alone, after the old government’s ouster. Hindus dwindled from 22% in 1951 to under 7%, losing 230,000 compatriots yearly to exodus.
‘Demographic shifts scream tragedy. Democracies must protect all; failure here indicts global safeguards,’ asserted HinduPACT’s Ajay Shah.
Action items press the US for fact-finding delegations, economic penalties, refugee status, and UN peacekeeping reevaluation. EU: tariffs and missions. UN: public denouncement and independent audits.
On-the-ground efforts include US-wide demonstrations and a massive petition to the UN rights chief. Sur observed, ‘From streets to submissions, diverse citizens unite for consistent human rights application.’
Precedents abound – UN critiques, Congressional scrutiny, Indo-US advocacy – yet escalation demands bolder steps to safeguard Bangladesh’s imperiled Hindus.