Time has come for US Congress to act on Bangladesh: Congressman Thanedar

Washington: Raising the issue of attacks over minority Hindus in Bangladesh, Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar has said that the time has come for the US Congress to act.

"The crowds of the majority have destroyed Hindu temples, Hindu deities and Hindus who are practising their religion in peace," Thanedar said on the floor of the US House of Representatives on Wednesday.

"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," he said.

Thanedar has consistently raised the issue of alleged violence against Hindus in Bangladesh since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.

"Since 1971, when Bangladesh got its freedom from Pakistan, there have been numerous occasions where minority Hindus have been attacked. More recently, we have seen a Hindu priest being arrested and his lawyer was murdered," he alleged.

On Thursday, the White House said President Joe Biden was closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh and the United States will hold the Bangladeshi interim government accountable for ensuring the protection of religious and ethnic minorities in the country.

"The security situation in Bangladesh has been difficult following the ouster of the former prime minister. And we have been working closely with the interim government to enhance the capability of their law enforcement and security services to deal with the challenge," White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said at a news conference.

Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi has urged members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to address the issue of violence against minorities, primarily Hindus, in Bangladesh during the confirmation hearing of Senator Marco Rubio for the position of secretary of state.

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Senator Rubio for the top diplomatic position. The date of his confirmation hearing has not been announced yet.

A large number of Indian-Americans recently held a march from the White House to the US Capitol over alleged attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh.