New Delhi, December 11 (IANS). Indian-American NGOs and human rights activists have demanded that the United Nations and global human rights organizations should formally recognize the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh as ‘ongoing genocide’.
Members of Global Hindu Temple Network-America, Global Hindu Heritage Foundation and Hindu Action made this demand citing a factual ground report prepared by a research team on the continuing violence and atrocities against religious minorities in Bangladesh.
A letter has been written to many organizations demanding immediate justice in this regard. These include United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, United Nations Human Rights Organization, UN Women, UNICEF, US State Department, USAID, USCIRF, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank and more than a dozen private international firms purchasing goods from Bangladesh.
The report, titled ‘Bangladesh’s Hindus, Christians, Buddhists and religious minorities: murdered, converted, forced to flee’, was co-authored by former UN official Mohinder Gulati and Ramesh Rao, a professor of sociology at Columbus State University and retired professor of sociology at Jackson State University in Mississippi. It has been prepared by renowned scholars like Professor Prakash Rao Velagapudi.
“This report is not only a record of history but also an urgent appeal for justice. Hindus in Bangladesh, who have contributed to its culture and heritage for centuries, now face extinction in their own homeland,” the report said. How long can the world remain silent? Every day of inaction is taking this ancient community closer to extinction.”
The report details the atrocities against minorities, especially Hindus, since the then Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina left power on August 5.
The report also said the severity of violent atrocities is greater in rural Bangladesh, where the Hindu population has shrunk to a small minority over the past five decades.
The report also suggests measures to stop the ongoing oppression against Hindus in Bangladesh and create an environment of safety and respect. These include international recognition and intervention, formal recognition by United Nations organizations of the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh as an ‘ongoing genocide’, holding the interim government in Bangladesh accountable for crimes against minorities, providing relief to displaced Hindu families. Rehabilitation and providing financial assistance etc.
According to the report’s authors, “The findings of this report are not just statistics; these are human lives affected by injustice. By presenting these realities, we can inspire urgent action, foster international solidarity, and protect Bangladesh for generations to come.” Hope to ensure safety and respect of Hindus.”
–IANS
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