VHPA Strongly Condemns Atrocities Against Minorities in Bangladesh

VHPA strongly condemns the unabated attacks on Hindus, Hindu temples and other minorities in Bangladesh. The arrest of Chinmay Prabhu, a prominent Hindu leader from ISKCON, points to the ferocity and viciousness of the current Bangladesh government.

Amitabh Mittal, General Secretary of VHPA said, “The silence of global media regarding the ongoing atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh is deafening. The recent arrest of an ISKCON priest and the violent attacks on Hindu temples underscore the alarming rise in religious intolerance. These incidents are part of a broader pattern of discrimination, as reported by organizations like Human Rights Watch, which has highlighted increasing attacks on Hindu and other religious minorities in the country. The lack of international condemnation only further emboldens the perpetrators and threatens the safety and freedom of minority communities in Bangladesh”

Ajay Shah, VHPA President said , “We have warned the world about the drip-drip genocide of Hindus in Bangladesh. Just last week, over 150 Hindu organizations and temples submitted a letter to the House Foreign Affairs Committee asking the State Department to impress upon the Muhammad Yunus government in Bangladesh to protect its religious minorities, including Hindus. The news about ISKCON’s Krishna Das Prabhu, the de facto spokesperson for Hindus, and the vandalism of Kali Mandir in Chittagong, along with rising attacks on Hindus across Bangladesh, is disconcerting. Is this the human rights legacy the Biden administration wants to be remembered for?”

Shyam Tiwari, VHPA spokesperson and VP said, “Violent attacks on Hindus and targeting of Hindu leaders by the law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh should be condemned by all. Silence around the world on killing of Hindus and other minorities only spells doom for humanity in general and amounts to implicit if not complicit condonation. We should never forget that past silence of world over attacks against Jews and Hindus resulted in the Holocaust in Germany during WWII and 1971 Hindu genocide in Bangladesh respectively.”

Tejal Shah, Jt. General Secretary of VHPA echoed, “As a representative of all the Hindu Mandirs across the USA, I very strongly condemn putting Shree Krisna Das PrabhuJi in jail, vandalism and destruction of Hindu Mandirs in major cities of Bangladesh. The minorities are living in constant fear, being harassed and the world is silently watching. This suffering must stop, the rights of Hindus, who are minorities, must be protected. The petition signed by more than 150 Hindu Organizations and Mandirs shows the reality, the expectations of American Hindus, which should not be undermined by the administration.

About VHPA

World Hindu Council of America (VHPA) is the USA’s most prominent organization of Hindus. Founded in 1970, it has chapters across the country. VHPA runs educational programs for Hindu children and youth in addition to community service (Seva) activities and initiatives such as the Hindu Mandir Empowerment Council (HMEC), Hindu Women’s’ Network, American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD), Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective USA (HinduPACT).

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