US urges Bangladesh to ensure all detained Hindu monks get legal help

The US has urged Bangladesh to provide "appropriate" legal representation for all detained Hindu monks, keeping in view the basic human rights principles.

The statement was made by Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel in Washington shortly after the bail hearing of detained Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari in a Chittagong court on Dec 3 was postponed by a month as he didn't have a lawyer.

Patel was responding to a reporter's question regarding the arrest of Das, about the arrest of Das, who faces sedition charges. Das has not found "a willing lawyer" in Bangladesh to represent him since being arrested and jailed.

He affirmed that his view was "consistent with what the US expected of every government."

Patel also emphasized that all protests must remain peaceful, and governments should uphold the rule of law and protect fundamental human rights during any crackdown. “And that’s something we will continue to emphasize," he added.

"There needs to be respect for fundamental freedoms, respect for religious freedom and basic human rights," the US State Department spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina has made a scathing attack on the country's interim leader Muhammad Yunus alleging him of “genocide.”

In her first public address after fleeing to India in August this year, Hasina, during the virtual address at an event in New York, accused Yunus of persecuting minorities.

She further claimed that there were plans to assassinate her and her sister Sheikh Rehana just like their father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated in 1975.

Hasina had to forcefully resign on Aug 5 after facing months-long massive anti-government protests.

"The armed protestors were directed towards Ganabhaban. If the security guards opened fire, many lives would have been lost. It was a matter of 25-30 minutes, and I was forced to leave. I told them [guards] not to fire no matter what happened," she said while recalling the Aug 5 incident when protestors stormed her official residence in Dhaka.

"Today, I am being accused of genocide. In reality, Yunus has been involved in genocide in a meticulously designed manner. The masterminds — the student coordinators and Yunus — are behind this genocide," Hasina said at the event to mark Bangladesh's 'Vijay Diwas' on Dec 1.

"Hindus, Buddhists, Christians — no one has been spared. Eleven churches have been razed, and temples and Buddhist shrines have been broken. When the Hindus protested, the Iskcon leader was arrested," she said in a veiled reference to the arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das.

"What is this persecution of minorities for? Why are they being ruthlessly persecuted and attacked?" she asked.
"People no longer have the right to justice... I never even got the time to resign," she said speaking in Bengali.

Muhammad Yunus, the interim government's chief adviser has invited Indian journalists to investigate allegations about persecution of Hindus and report the reality.

“We are working to explain this to the Indian government and counter the misinformation,” he said.

His statement came amid widespread outrage over arrest of former ISKCON priest Das and reports of violence on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.

He dismissed the reports of continuing attacks on Hindus as “propaganda” and advised politicians to keep away from attempts at “provocation."

“Bangladesh remains united and is resilient against any fabricated narratives from abroad," Yunus said after he met with members of all parties except Hasina's Awami League party on Dec 4. He has convened another meeting on Dec 5 with religious leaders.

The relations between India and Bangladesh have been under strain following Hasina's ouster. Since the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power, India has expressed concerns over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in that country.