Over the day and hours since Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country, following weeks of anti-government protests that forced her resignation, HAF has received numerous reports from human rights groups in Bangladesh documenting Hindu homes and businesses attacked, vandalized, and looted amidst the chaotic unrest. The reports have come from across Bangladesh, including ransacking, and in some cases burning, of Hindu temples.
While the full extent to which religious minorities are being targeted in this greater unrest is not yet fully clear, the picture is deeply concerning.
In response to these reports, HAF Director of Policy Research Anita Joshi stated:
“These attacks are heartbreaking, but unsurprising. It is well documented that prior to the toppling of Sheikh Hasina’s government, Bangladesh’s Hindu population has been targeted and harassed in sections of the country for many years now. The Bangladesh military is reportedly forming an interim government, and so we urge local law enforcement and military leadership to ensure the safety of all Bangladesh’s religious minorities, protecting their homes, business, and places of worship in this moment of turmoil.”
HAF has also called on the US State Department to work with Bangladesh’s military leaders and interim government to immediately protect religious minorities from violence as the country seeks to restore order.
