The New York Democracy Project (NYDP) condemns in the strongest possible words the heinous acts of violence committed by radical Muslims on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh in recent days and in previous years. The New York Democracy Project was founded over a decade ago to champion democracy and human rights and to combat hate and violence.
There has been targeted violence against Hindus in Bangladesh and its predecessor East Pakistan and East Bengal since the sub-continent broke up into several countries. Successive government and private pogroms going back to 1947 have killed thousands of minority Bangladeshis outright, while the fortunate ones have become refugees in India.
Hindus, who make up about 10 percent of Bangladesh’s Muslim-majority population, and Christians, Buddhists, and Sikhs, have repeatedly come under attack. The Hindu community and other minorities in Bangladesh were left mourning the victims of attacks, “which, reports said, left hundreds dead, and thousands wounded, and dozens of temples vandalized or burnt to the ground throughout the country vandalized”. Violence against Hindus erupted immediately after Prime Minister Sheik Hasina resigned during protests against her policies. There were arson attacks on shops and houses belonging to the Hindu community. Homes of Hindus were ransacked and or set ablaze. Several Hindu women and children were raped and or hung to death.Reports said it was well-planned coordinated attacks carried out by Islamic ultra-fundamentalists. The attacks against Hindu minorities have been fueled by hate speech from radical preachers, speech that violate the constitution of Bangladesh.
Activists in India, USA, and Canada staged demonstrations over the last week in protest against the brutal attacks on Hindus, their properties, and temples. Guyanese and other Indo-Caribbean Hindu organizations issued statements condemning the violent unjustified attacks.
The NYDP organization appeals to authorities in Bangladesh to do everything to prevent such acts of violence based on hatred, prejudice, and ignorance and to investigate and prosecute those responsible for such targeted attacks.