Dear Commissioner Chestnut,

I am writing as a constituent who is alarmed at the large-scale violence that has broken out in the past few days in Bangladesh, targeting Hindu minorities.¹ In a matter of only a few hours, dozens of Bangladeshi Hindus have been killed, several temples destroyed^2,3,4,5, homes and businesses of Hindus systematically vandalized, set on fire. While news is hard to come by, we are receiving frantic calls for help from our friends and family in Bangladesh. Our social media is similarly inundated with horrific images of plunder, violence, and mayhem.⁶ The plight of Hindu women is especially worrisome given many reports of rapes and sexual violence.^7,8 Amidst the mind-numbing violence, there are several calls for exterminating the Hindu population that harks back to the unfinished agenda of Operation Searchlight in the 1971 Bengali Hindu Genocide. All this has left the Hindu population in Bangladesh extremely vulnerable and fighting for their lives and property. 

This latest spate of violence comes on the back of systemic large-scale violence periodically unleashed on Bangladeshi Hindus.^{9,10,11,12,13,14} The scale, scope, and pattern of this slow genocide, has been widely documented by Human rights groups¹⁵ as well as American lawmakers like late Sen. Ted Kennedy¹⁶ and late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee.¹⁷ The religious violence is often camouflaged under the broader turmoil, but the numbers don’t lie. In 1971, a US State Department Report noted that “more than 60% of the Bengali refugees who fled to India were Hindus,” despite being less than 18 percent of the population in East Pakistan at that time.¹⁸ 

50 years later, those numbers have fallen to less than 8% of the Bangladeshi population, but the theme remains the same. Hindus of the country are facing existential threats and remain uncertain of their future in the land of their ancestors- their right to practice their religion and to live a life of dignity. 

It has been a harrowing experience for me sitting here in the US, seeing these cries for help. The minimal coverage from our media has been largely focused on the fast moving geo-politics and political turmoil, with little focus on WHY a religious minority and Hindu temples are being targeted. 

A Human rights crisis is brewing and I need YOU to bring it to the attention of the players who can help in the dire situation staring at Hindus, including women and children. I urge you to: 

1. Issue a public statement condemning the violence and the human rights violations against the minority Hindus of Bangladesh.
2. Urge Secretary of State Tony Blinken and the State Department to proactively monitor the situation, especially for targeting of people based on religion and gender. Ask them to ensure the Bangladeshi authorities protect their Hindu citizens and hold the perpetrators of the violence accountable. 
3. Urge the State Department to facilitate the resettlement of the most vulnerable among the Bangladeshi Hindus under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).

I would also like to request an urgent meeting to help you understand the dire plight of our friends and family in Bangladesh and long and short-term solutions to this festering problem.

Unlike the days of the Blood Telegram¹⁹, Silence is not an option. Strong public statements by our lawmakers and actions by the United States can bring much needed international attention, prevent yet another genocide, and bring about a potential resolution to the dangerous situation while restoring confidence in the American Hindu community as well as the Bangladeshi Hindu community.

Will you stand with us against this cycle of violence?

Sincerely,

Ashish Brahmbhatt