ISKCON provides aid to Hindu families affected by attacks in Bangladesh

ISKCON has provided a bed, cooking utensils, all the items for worship, and a Geeta, cooking items include 15 kg rice, one kg dal, two kg flour, one kg sugar, two litres soybean oil, one litre mustard oil, two salt packets, 200 grams turmeric powder, 200 grams chilli powder, 200 grams jeera powder, and 200 grams coriander powder for each family, it added.

In another incident that took place in Taraganj, Rangpur, Bangladesh, ISKCON paid 25,000 taka to the family of the victims of the mob lynching of Ruplal Rabi Das and his son-in-law, Pradeep Rabidas, the statement said.

Present at that time were the General Secretary of ISKCON Bangladesh, Charuchandra Das; Jyotishwar Gaur Das; Treasurer Bimala Prasad Das; Chairman, Devotee Care; along with officials of ISKCON Rangpur Division.

Earlier on Friday, the Government of India raised at least 334 major incidents of violence against minorities with Pakistan and flagged 3,582 such cases in Bangladesh since 2021, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh told Parliament.

In a reply to a Rajya Sabha query, Singh said the government regularly "follows" reports of violence and atrocities against religious minorities in neighbouring countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

On Bangladesh, Singh said that at least 3,582 incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities have been reported since 2021.

"The Government of India has shared its concerns on the matter with the Government of Bangladesh, including at the highest levels, with the expectation that the Government of Bangladesh will take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and welfare of Hindus and other minorities," he said.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch has reported that Bangladesh's interim government, led by Nobel laureate Mohammed Yunus, is struggling to implement promised human rights reforms a year after mass protests toppled Sheikh Hasina's 15-year rule. It said arbitrary detentions and politically motivated arrests continue, while security sector reform remains stalled.

Mob and political violence remain high. In July, a mob damaged at least 14 homes belonging to Hindus in the Rangpur district, while attacks on minorities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts persist.

Although the government has set up 11 reform commissions and ratified the UN Convention on Enforced Disappearances, accountability for past abuses is slow, with security forces resisting investigations. (ANI)