US urges Bangladesh to uphold religious freedom, human rights amid attacks on Hindus

Published on Authored by Press Trust of India

The United States on Tuesday called for respect for fundamental freedoms, including religious and basic human rights in Bangladesh, amid attacks on minorities in the country.

(Left) Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das has been arrested by authorities on sedition charges. (Right) A Hindu temple vandalised by mobs in Chittagong. Photo courtesy- Das: x.com/DharmaYuddhya. Temple- Save Bangladeshi Hindus X page
(Left) Hindu priest Chinmoy Krishna Das has been arrested by authorities on sedition charges. (Right) A Hindu temple vandalised by mobs in Chittagong. Photo courtesy- Das: x.com/DharmaYuddhya. Temple- Save Bangladeshi Hindus X page

“We are consistent with every government in which we have a relationship with. We are clear that there needs to be the respect of fundamental freedoms,” State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters.

“Governments need to respect the rule of law, they need to respect basic human rights as part of that. That’s something we’ll continue to emphasise,” Patel said.

There needs to be respect for religious freedom and basic human rights. Any kind of protests should be and need to be peaceful, he said.

“We continue to stress and emphasise that even those who are in detention need to be afforded appropriate representation and need to be treated with basic fundamental freedoms and human rights,” Patel said in response to a question.

The relations between India and Bangladesh came under strain after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August.

Congressman Brad Sherman, an influential US lawmaker, on Tuesday, December 3, said the interim Bangladeshi government has an absolute obligation to protect the minority Hindu community in the country after the fall of the democratically-elected Sheikh Hasina-led government earlier this year.

Over the weekend, Hindus from Bangladesh organised a rally at the White house demanding release of priest Chinmoy Krishna Das and protection for Hindus of Bangladesh.

“Bangladesh’s interim government has an absolute obligation to protect its Hindu minority and meaningfully address the protests of thousands of minority Hindus in outcry over the recent wave of attacks and harassment,” Sherman said in a statement.

“With the calls for an investigation from the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk for killings and other rights violations during the violent unrest leading up to and after the fall of Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the current administration must demonstrate leadership in eliminating acts of violence against the Hindu community,” Sherman added.