NEW DELHI, Aug 31: Bangladeshi MP Pankaj Nath has warned that Bangladesh is at a critical crossroads, facing a stark choice between returning to its secular founding ideals or continuing down a dangerous path toward “religious apartheid and cultural extinction.”
Speaking at a web conference organized by Human Rights Defense International (HRDI) on the “Hindu crisis” in Bangladesh, Nath described the current situation as alarming, citing over 3,000 incidents of violence against Hindus—including killings, rapes, land grabs, and attacks on temples and homes—since August 2024.
Nath accused BNP-Jamaat activists and radical groups of orchestrating the violence with the tacit protection of the government, while law enforcement remained passive.
He emphasized that decades of systemic discrimination have rendered the Hindu community politically invisible, pointing to their disproportionately low representation in parliament and government institutions despite being a significant minority.
He also highlighted the growing use of fabricated online content to incite communal violence and called for urgent institutional reforms, including the enactment of a Special Minority Security Act, the establishment of a Minority Commission, and the reservation of parliamentary seats for Hindus.
“The question is not whether minorities are at risk—they obviously are.
The question is how fast they are being erased,” Nath said.
Other speakers at the conference echoed his concerns. HRDI Secretary General Rajesh Gogna described the situation as a “human rights emergency,” criticizing the silence of law enforcement during attacks on Hindu temples.
Former Dhaka University registrar Probir Sarkar spoke about systematic discrimination in academia, noting a mass resignation of minority teachers post-2024.
US-based activist Sitangshu Guha called the crisis “existential,” warning that Hindus are on the verge of extinction in Bangladesh.
The conference painted a grim picture of religious minority persecution in Bangladesh and called for immediate action to prevent further marginalization and violence. (PTI)
