VHP urges UN, EU to pressurize Bangladesh to take action over attacks on Hindus

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) penned a letter to the international bodies including, the UN and UNHRC, and demanded immediate action against those involved in the atrocities against the Hindu community in Bangladesh. According to the letter uploaded by the Hindu group on their microblogging post, they have addressed their grievances and demand to the heads of the United Nations (UN), United Nations' High Commission for Human Rights (UNHRC) and the European Union (EU). In the letters, the head of international affairs of VHP, Swami Vigyananand urged to set up an international enquiry commission and send a fact-finding mission to Bangladesh at the earliest. Also, the organisation demanded the international bodies to pressurise the Bangladesh government to ensure security, justice and compensation to the victims.

Read the letter addressed to International bodies here:

VHP demands exemplary punishment

Notably, this comes after a mob of at least 500 people attacked the ISKCON temple during the Durga Puja celebrations. Furthermore, attacks were carried out on Puja venues in Hajiganj on October 13 and, two days later, attacks on Hindu temples in Naokhali took the lives of two more people. Meanwhile, Vigyananand also demanded the international bodies to pressurise the Bangladesh government to give exemplary punishment to the perpetrators of crime. He asked the UN body to direct the Sheikh Hasina government to take action against "proscribe criminal Jihadi organisations and repeal the Vested Property Act 2013".

"The brutal killings of innocents, in more than 22 districts over the past 10-12 days, violate any notion of humanity. The "radical Islamists caused despair and terror" among devotees by forcibly entering places of worship during the sacred Durga Puja and "jubilantly vandalising and breaking icons of deities and destroying" shrines," read the letter. A dozen Hindus were "slaughtered", a thousand injured, horrifyingly, Hindu women and small girls were "raped" in front of family members and homes and businesses were looted and burnt as well. The police and law enforcement authorities were mute spectators, intervening too late to prevent the atrocities," added VHP in the two-page letter addressed to the top international bodies. 

US condemns Bangladesh incident

Earlier on Tuesday, VHP demanded a fact-finding team of Indian parliamentarians be sent to Bangladesh for a probe into the recent incidents of violence against Hindu minorities. Amid rising protests in India and Bangladesh, US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price said that the US condemn the attacks. “We condemn the recent violent attacks on Hindu temples and businesses in Bangladesh during the Durga Puja celebrations. Our thoughts are with the Hindu community as we urge authorities to investigate fully. Freedom of religion or belief is a human right,” he had tweeted.

(With inputs from ANI)

(Image: ANI)