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Jaishankar Meets PM Modi As Concerns Grow Over Attacks On Hindus In Bangladesh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. (Reuters File Photo)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met PM Modi on Thursday afternoon amid growing concerns over attacks on Hindus in neighbouring Bangladesh.
Massive protests have rocked Bangladesh after the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu at Dhaka airport on November 25. Saiful Islam Alif, a lawyer, was hacked to death when thousands gathered outside a court in Chittagong demanding the release of an arrested Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu, who was later denied bail and sent to jail on charges of sedition.
Prabhu was a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and was recently expelled. He was denied bail on Tuesday, leading to further protests by the Hindu community who cited atrocities against them under the Yunus administration.
Chief Advisor to the interim Bangladesh government, Muhammad Yunus, condemned the killing of the lawyer in Chittagong and ordered an investigation into the incident.
Hindu American Groups Seek Sanctions Against Bangladesh
Condemning attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, several Hindu American groups have sought that US aid for the South Asian country be made contingent on its government taking measurable action to protect these populations.
Bangladesh’s minority Hindus, which constitute only about 8 per cent of the 170 million population, have faced over 200 attacks in 50-odd districts since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5.
Vishva Hindu Parishad America (VHPA) president Ajay Shah said the news of Das’ arrest, vandalism of Kali Mandir in Chittagong and the rising attacks on Hindus across Bangladesh are disconcerting.
“Is this the human rights legacy the Biden administration wants to be remembered for,” he asked.
