'Lives destroyed, dreams crushed': Bangladeshi Minorities Alliance demand UN action to stop targeted persecution of Hindus

Washington: Bangladeshi Minorities Alliance, comprising various Hindu groups from the US and Europe, has urged the United Nations to take immediate action to stop targeted persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh.

“The persecution of Hindus and Buddhists is not merely an issue of apathy in governance; it is a stain on the conscience of humanity and its lukewarm efforts,” said Richa Gautam of CaresGlobal, which is part of the Bangladeshi Minorities Alliance (BMA).

Gautam and several other members of the alliance attended the 17th session of the United Nations Forum on Minority Issues in Geneva last week, with a plea to the international community to confront the harrowing crisis facing minority communities in Bangladesh.

Several countries, including India, have repeatedly expressed concern over the targeting of Hindus since the interim government of Muhammad Yunus took charge in early August in Bangladesh.

There have been a spate of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities, as well as attacks on temples in Bangladesh in the last few weeks, especially the recent arrest of a Hindu monk, Chinmoy Krishna Das.

“This is not just about statistics. This is about lives destroyed, dreams crushed, and futures stolen. The suffering of Bangladesh’s Hindus cannot be ignored,” said Dipan Mitra, speaking on behalf of CaresGlobal and the World Hindu Federation (WHF) European Chapter.

“These are mothers, fathers, children — people whose voices have been silenced. It is our moral duty to stand with them and ensure justice. The world must act now, before it’s too late,” Mitra said.

A media released said the UN forum, chaired by Anastasia Crickley and co-chaired by UNHRC president Omar Zniber, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk, and Special Rapporteur Prof Nicolas Levrat, discussed the atrocities being committed against Bangladesh’s religious minorities, especially Hindus and Buddhists.

“Today, we stand united across the globe for the Hindus of Bangladesh, who have been silenced by oppression. Their only crime is that they are Hindus in a country gripped by radical fanaticism,” said CaresGlobal and WHF in a joint statement.