WASHINGTON, D.C. — Members of the Hindu community and human rights advocates held a peaceful demonstration outside the U.S. State Department on Monday, urging American officials to take stronger action over what they described as ongoing persecution of religious minorities in Bangladesh.
Braving cold weather, demonstrators gathered with banners and placards calling for justice and accountability, while speakers appealed to U.S. authorities, international institutions, and global human rights organizations to intervene.
Srikanth Akunuri of Hindu Action urged U.S. officials to respond forcefully to the concerns raised during the protest. “We request the US State Department to ensure persecution of minorities is completely stopped, and the culprits have to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of law in the US or the International Court of Justice,” he said.
Akunuri also called for international oversight of Bangladesh’s upcoming elections. “Also, we request the US Government to send neutral observers to Bangladesh during elections in February 2026 ensure democracy is restored in Bangladesh,” he said.
Pankaj Mehta, a human rights advocate from Interfaith Peace Vigil Against Terror, echoed those concerns and said testimony shared at the protest highlighted serious issues. “Today’s testimony was deeply troubling — it points to targeted violence against minorities and weak accountability,” Mehta said. “As interfaith human rights advocates, we stand with the victims and strongly condemn the failure of the Bangladeshi government to protect minorities and prosecute perpetrators.”
Mehta added that the safety of minorities must be treated as a global responsibility. “Human rights and minority safety are non-negotiable — all eyes must now be on Bangladesh,” he said.
Participants said the protest was intended to draw international attention to what they described as sustained abuses against Hindu minorities and to push democratic governments to respond with urgency.
Aruna Pal, a physician and human rights activist, described the issue as a moral challenge for the international community and condemned violence against minorities in South Asia. “Barbaric action against Hindus in Bangladesh/Pakistan should have been rejected/condemned by the whole world,” she said.
She argued that global institutions have a duty to act decisively. “There must have been the whole world, all the organisations’ moral duty to stop funding of this kind of cowardly vultures, who are engaged in this kind of anti minority activities,” Pal said.
Pal also framed the issue in broader cultural and spiritual terms. “All have to make a goal to strengthen a power that is stronger than these demonic powers that are funding these vultures,” she said. “These people with devta thoughts must be able to defund demonic thoughts.”
Bangladesh has faced recurring international scrutiny over minority rights in recent years, with concerns raised by human rights groups and foreign governments. The United States has said it monitors human rights conditions worldwide and raises such issues through bilateral and multilateral channels. (Source: IANS)
