The Global Alliance of multi-faith organizations, human rights advocates, and prominent international figures has issued a formal appeal to the international community, demanding immediate and decisive action against the ongoing persecution of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. Coordinated by the Hindus Advancing Human Rights Initiative, an arm of the independent nonprofit HinduPACT, the appeal has garnered signatures from more than 125 organizations and individuals spanning 15 different countries. This collective movement highlights a critical humanitarian situation that has escalated significantly in the wake of recent political transitions within the South Asian nation.
The documentation provided by the alliance outlines a systematic and long-standing pattern of violence, intimidation, and forced displacement targeting the Hindu population. According to the signatories, these trends have intensified since the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took power. The alliance argues that the Hindu population in Bangladesh constitutes an indigenous community whose rights to life and cultural preservation are protected under the 2007 United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Leaders of the initiative assert that the current environment is not characterized by isolated incidents of lawlessness but rather by a sustained human rights crisis rooted in a culture of impunity.
The appeal emphasizes that the international community maintains both a moral and a legal obligation to intervene. Human rights defenders warn that without such intervention, a religious community with deep historical and cultural roots in the region faces the threat of ethnic cleansing. To support these claims, the alliance cites a series of documented events that demonstrate a collapse of legal protections for religious minorities. High among these is the public lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in December 2025, an event sparked by false allegations of blasphemy that was witnessed through digital media globally. This incident served as a stark indicator of the vulnerability faced by those outside the religious majority.
Since August 2024, reports of murders, arson, temple desecration, and illegal land seizures have become increasingly frequent. Monitoring bodies, including the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, have noted a significant rise in intimidation and violence. The alliance points to a recurring tactic where mob-driven blasphemy allegations are utilized to justify public violence, mass arrests, and the destruction of private property. These actions, they argue, are part of a broader historical trend that has seen the Hindu population in the region decline from approximately 22 percent in 1951 to less than 7 percent in the current era.
Expert analysis suggests that this demographic shift is not the result of voluntary migration but is instead evidence of ongoing religious and ethnic cleansing. The scale of the decline suggests a failure of both the state and the global human rights framework to protect vulnerable populations. In response to these findings, the alliance has issued a comprehensive list of demands directed at major international stakeholders, including the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, and the Government of India.
The alliance has specifically called upon the United States government to designate Bangladesh as a Country of Particular Concern, a move that would trigger specific diplomatic and economic consequences. Furthermore, the appeal requests that a fact-finding delegation be dispatched to the region and that the U.S. Embassy provide regular, public reporting on the status of minority rights. There are also calls to review Bangladesh’s ongoing participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations and to establish formal refugee protections for Hindus fleeing persecution.
Parallel demands have been made of the European Union, suggesting that trade benefits and economic agreements be conditioned upon measurable improvements in the protection of religious minorities. The United Nations and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have been urged to publicly condemn the violations and establish a formal monitoring mechanism to investigate the misuse of blasphemy laws. The alliance believes that holding perpetrators and enabling institutions accountable under international law is the only way to halt the cycle of violence.
The Government of India is also being asked to prepare humanitarian measures for those displaced by the violence and to explore all available diplomatic and legal avenues to compel Bangladesh to uphold its human rights obligations. Even the Organization of Islamic Cooperation has been included in the appeal, with the alliance calling for a condemnation of the violence as being inconsistent with global commitments to human dignity. The diverse nature of the signatories, which includes academics, lawyers, and multifaith organizations, underscores the belief that these issues transcend specific religious identities and involve universal principles of human rights.
Supporters of the initiative argue that protecting the rights of Hindus in Bangladesh strengthens the global human rights framework for all people. This diplomatic pressure is being complemented by significant grassroots mobilization. Rallies have been held in more than 25 cities across the United States, reflecting a broad base of concern among the diaspora and various faith groups. Participants in these demonstrations have urged the Bangladeshi government to uphold its constitutional protections and have called for enforcement-oriented actions rather than symbolic gestures.
Many organizers refer to the situation as a slow-motion or drip-drip genocide, where the cumulative impact of constant terror and erasure eventually leads to the disappearance of a community. To bring this to the attention of high-level officials, a signature campaign has been launched directed at United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. Thousands of individuals worldwide have signed petitions urging the United Nations Human Rights Council to acknowledge the targeted nature of the violence and to establish an independent fact-finding mechanism.
The Hindus Advancing Human Rights Initiative has also maintained a vigorous public awareness campaign via social media and other digital platforms. By amplifying survivor testimonies and verified reports from international watchdogs, they aim to counter misinformation and ensure that policymakers and journalists are aware of the deteriorating conditions on the ground. These efforts are designed to bridge the gap between policy discussions and the lived realities of those facing persecution.
The advocacy work is rooted in the philosophical concept of Dharma, which emphasizes duty and the protection of the weak. By drawing inspiration from historical and spiritual precedents for defending righteous causes, the initiative seeks to promote human rights on a global scale. The overarching goal of these organizations is to foster peace and understanding through informed policy research and active grassroots engagement, ensuring that the rights of all individuals are respected regardless of their religious or ethnic background. As the international community weighs its response, the alliance continues to provide documentation and testimonies to support its call for urgent intervention.
