Washington, DC. An alliance of global organizations across North America, Europe, and Asia is launching a three-part global response to the escalating persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh since the Yunus interim government took office. The campaign includes a united petition to governments and multilateral bodies, memorial and prayer meetings in Hindu temples across the United States on January 24 and January 27, and a nationwide rally on January 31, 2026, in at least 25 confirmed cities, with additional locations being added. Flyers for the memorials and the nationwide rally are attached.
Since mid-2024 and throughout 2025, the Hindu minority has endured a marked rise in targeted violence that blends blasphemy accusations, mob vigilantism, arson, sexual assaults, and the desecration of places of worship. The most searing example is the public lynching of Dipu Chandra Das on December 18, 2025, following a fabricated blasphemy charge. The killing was recorded and circulated online, shocking communities worldwide and underscoring the collapse of deterrence and protection for minorities.
Community documentation and rights-group reporting show a stream of blasphemy-linked attacks from June through December 2025, during which online incitement drew crowds to Hindu neighborhoods, shops, and temples. Named victims memorialized by temples this month include Dipu Chandra Das, Khokan Chandra Das, Rana Pratap Bairagi, Mohi Chakraborty, Bajendra Biswas, Prantosh Karmakar, and Amrito Mondal, all killed in 2025 during anti-Hindu violence.
Alongside the killings, families report rape during home invasions, forced conversions under threat, and the systematic destruction of property and murtis. Police responses have often been delayed or ineffective, and prosecutions remain rare. From the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024 through November 30, 2025, civil-society tabulations recorded 2,673 attacks on minorities, including Hindus and indigenous peoples, reflecting a climate of continuous intimidation.
This present emergency sits atop decades of attrition. Hindus constituted roughly a quarter of the population of what became East Pakistan in 1947. By the founding of Bangladesh in 1971, they were approximately 13.5 percent. Today they are about 7 percent or less. Community estimates indicate that around 230,000 Hindus continue to leave Bangladesh each year. The downward trajectory over generations reflects sustained discrimination, targeted violence, dispossession of property, and coerced migration.
The first pillar of the campaign is a joint petition signed by organizations worldwide. It urges the United States to dispatch a fact-finding mission, require periodic human rights reporting from the U.S. Embassy in Dhaka, ensure that no political parties are barred from participating in elections, and suspend Bangladesh’s troop participation in United Nations peacekeeping until credible protections are in place. It calls for targeted trade measures on apparel exports if impunity persists, refugee consideration for Hindus fleeing persecution, recognition that rising Islamism poses a security risk, and the appointment of a Hindu commissioner to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom after consultation with the Hindu advocacy organizations.
The petition asks the European Union to send a fact-finding delegation, condition trade preferences on measurable rights benchmarks, and extend refugee consideration to persecuted Hindus. It requests that USCIRF and the United Nations Human Rights Office produce a consolidated fact sheet on killings and attacks since 2024 and establish an independent inquiry to identify perpetrators and examine the drivers of violence, including doctrinal incitement against non-Muslims. It also calls on the Government of India to provide humanitarian entry for Bangladeshi Hindus seeking safety, fast-track citizenship for those who request it, employ diplomatic and economic tools to secure protections on the ground, launch a public, real-time tracker of violations, and pause people-to-people initiatives except for humanitarian relief to Hindus. Finally, the petition urges the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to issue an unequivocal condemnation of violence against Bangladeshi Hindus and to support accountability measures consistent with its stated human rights commitments.
The second pillar is remembrance and solidarity. Temples across the United States will host Shraddhanjali and Prarthna services on January 24 and January 27. These gatherings will include diya lighting, prayers, mauna, shanti mantras, and sankalp in solemn remembrance of those killed. The names of victims will be read, including Dipu Chandra Das, Khokan Chandra Das, Rana Pratap Bairagi, Mohi Chakraborty, Bajendra Biswas, Prantosh Karmakar, and Amrito Mondal, with prayers for survivors and for the safety of all civilians.
The third pillar is civic mobilization. A nationwide rally will be held on January 31, 2026, in at least 25 cities. Confirmed locations include New York, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Detroit, Dallas, Boston, Atlanta, Austin, Houston, Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., New Jersey, Miami, Cincinnati, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Raleigh, Seattle, Phoenix, and Albuquerque, with more chapters announcing sites daily. Participants are encouraged to fast for a full or half day, bring candles or diyas for a short vigil, and invite friends and neighbors. Supporters unable to travel are urged to fast and pray from home.
This campaign is nonviolent and rights-focused. The alliance calls on governments, international institutions, faith leaders, and civil society to act on verifiable evidence, protect threatened communities, and end impunity for sectarian crimes. The organizations will continue documenting cases, supporting survivors, and advocating for accountability until Bangladeshi Hindus can live in safety and dignity.
About HinduPACT’s HAHRI Initiative:
Dharma encompasses the idea of duty and righteous conduct. It includes protecting the weak, the poor, and those in need. In the sacred Hindu scripture Bhagwad Gita, Shree Krishna asks Arjuna to defend his rights and fight for his dharma, his righteous cause. Hindus Advancing Human Rights (HAHRI) takes inspiration from the Bhagwad Gita and advocates for human rights worldwide. For more information about HAHRI and our ongoing initiatives, please visit www.hahri.org
About HinduPACT:
The Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective (HinduPACT) is dedicated to advocating for and conducting policy research on issues affecting the American Hindu community. HinduPACT promotes human rights (HAHRI), advocates for Pakistani Hindu girls (CHINGARI), educates voters (HinduVote), fights against Hindu defamation (AHAD), and addresses policies that impact American Hindus. It strives for peace and understanding through informed policy initiatives and grassroots advocacy. Visit https://hindupact.org for more details.
Source: World Hindu News
