The persecution of minorities in Bangladesh is a burning regional issue having international connotations. The way Hindus, Christians and Buddhists are being persecuted in Bangladesh since Sheikh Hasina was made to flee the country and the US protege and Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus was placed at the helm of affairs there has agitated the Hindus of India. The Hindus are eight percent of the total population in Bangladesh and they have ambilical connection with India. The persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh and for that matter in Pakistan is not a new thing. They have been tortured at will and converted to Islam with utmost brutality.
The present persecution of the Hindus and other minorities started in Bangladesh after the students movement forced Hasina to flee Bangladesh. There was no apparent provocation for the Muslims of Bangladesh for doing so but they unleashed a reign of terror against the Hindus. One will be astonished to see that Muslims vent their frustration in Pakistan and Bangladesh against the Hindus after small irritants like their defeat in cricket at the hands of the Indian Cricket team. The Hindus are softest target in Pakistan and Bangladesh since their formation. The only difference is that the Hindus have protested this time. The lead was taken by a former monk of ISKCON, Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu, who galvanized the anger of the Hindus into a mass movement. He is now under arrest. Such a protest was unthinkable earlier. This is a major positive development in Bangladesh. The Hindu youths have formed a group of volunteers to protect their colonies and temples. The other gamechanger is that the government of India has lodged a strong protest with the government of Bangladesh over this issue. This is a paradigm shift from the stance of previous governments which always turned a blind eye to such developments in Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Another major change is that Donald Trump, the President elect of America has shown his deep concern over the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh. This change will have tumultuous effect after he assumes office on 20th January, 2025. The present persecution of Hindus under the nose of Muhammad Yunus is largely the result of Biden's foreign policy which wants to penalise India for its strategic autonomy defying all American diktats. Biden will be remembered as the most parochial and shortsighted president of America. His handling of foreign policy has done no good to the American interests either. India is a strong country now and there can be no winning western formation against China, Russia, Iran and Noeth Korea without India. Therefore, playing with Hindu sentiments will backfire in due course of time.
Now the question is what should be the future course of action for India. Any intervention in terms of military action is not possible given the present political and diplomatic condition of the world. India has strong diplomatic and economic leverages against Bangladesh and it be applied with deftness and precision to bring Bangladesh to its knees. The fear that China will do the needful to Bangladesh in case India withdraws its patronage is unfounded. China is simply used as a bulwark against India by Bangladesh, otherwise everyone knows what entails for a Chinese protege in the long run. Moreover, America would not like Bangladesh to fall into the Chinese trap. India should pull strings to make Bangladesh realise that Indian enemity is not good for their health. Besides, the Hindus living in different parts of the world should take up the cause of Hindus living in Bangladesh. The Indian intellectuals should come out in the open in support of Hindus in no uncertain terms. They should try to build a global opinion in favour of the Hindus living in different parts of the world. It is high time the Hindu intellectuals wake up from their deep slumber and do something meaningful for their brethren.