Washington: The killing of a Hindu garment worker in Bangladesh has drawn condemnation from US-based Hindu advocacy groups, who said the incident underscored the vulnerability of religious minorities in the country.
The Hindu American Political Action Committee said the “brutal killing of Dipu Chandra Das” had made clear that the Bangladeshi government was failing to protect Hindus and other religious minorities.
In a statement circulated to supporters, the group said it welcomed the response of US elected officials who had “recognized the situation in Bangladesh and condemned the murder.”
The organization shared statements from four lawmakers who spoke out on the incident. Prominent among them are Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro J. Khanan, Suhas Subramanyam, Shri Thanedar, and New York Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar.
According to materials circulated by the advocacy groups, Das was publicly lynched on December 18, 2025. The groups said he was brutally beaten, stripped naked, hung in a public square, and then set on fire. They described the killing as a shocking act of violence that had reverberated globally.
The incident, the groups said, stemmed from Das stating that “all religions are the same.” They described him as a Hindu garment worker and said the killing had sent shock waves across communities concerned about religious freedom and minority rights in Bangladesh.
In a message to supporters, the Hindu American PAC said advocating against violence and discrimination targeting the Hindu community, both in the United States and abroad, had been a priority since its founding in 2012. The group said it was “glad to have helped elect multiple officials who recognize the importance of doing so.”
Another advocacy group, HinduPact, issued a call to action urging supporters to press international institutions to respond. The group appealed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to “take strict action and act decisively” in response to the killing. Supporters were encouraged to send emails urging intervention.
The materials also framed the killing within a broader pattern of violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, asserting that the community had been subjected to sustained attacks and discrimination. The groups said the incident could no longer be ignored by the international community.
Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation, is facing international scrutiny over the treatment of religious minorities, including Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians. Human rights conditions in the contry has deteriorated in the last year and a half.
(IANS)
