Johnnie Moore, a former Commissioner of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), has strongly criticized the Bangladesh interim government for its handling of the situation affecting Hindus and other minorities in the country, stating “there isn’t a minority in the country that doesn’t feel under threat right now” and that “Muhammad Yunus is failing.”
In an interview with ANI, Moore emphasized that the government's primary duty is to safeguard those facing threats. He also described this as a moment of "existential threat," not just for Bangladesh's minorities but for the nation as a whole.
Muhammad Yunus via picture alliance / NurPhoto / Kazi Salahuddin Razu.
Moore condemned the arrest of priest Chinmoy Krishna Das by the Bangladesh Police, stating that minorities feel, "If they can target him, they can target any of us."
The former USCIRF Commissioner emphasized that the global Christian community stands in solidarity with Bangladesh's Hindu community.
“Bangladesh isn’t just a Muslim country. It’s a Muslim-majority country that has many, many minorities. There isn’t a minority in the country that doesn’t feel under threat right now. That’s been globally evident in recent days as this high-profile arrest has taken place of not just a leader of the Hindu Bangladeshi community, but really a very serious religious figure. I think the perception is if they’ll go after him, they’ll go after any of us. I want to be crystal clear, that the global Christian community stands with the Hindu community in Bangladesh. It is the first responsibility of a government to protect those under threat. The religious minorities of Bangladesh are really feeling it now and they deserve our support,” he said.
“We’re not sure who’s really doing this, but let me just say, the way I see it, Muhammad Yunus is failing. That’s what’s happening in Bangladesh now. As, the leader of the country, as the interim leader of the country, there are no aspirations for the Bangladeshi people. If you can’t manage a very, very simple component of civil society, which is you have to protect people, people have to be safe. If the rule of law becomes so inefficient that instead of getting due process, a lawyer is killed. This is unbelievable, I was astonished by the response of Mr Yunus in the Bangladeshi government. They are saying this is exaggerated. They’re saying that this isn’t as big a deal as it seems,” he added.
Moore stated that the visuals and reports emerging from Bangladesh demonstrate how a Hindu priest was initially arrested and later denied bail by the local court.
“Then the lawyer defending the priest was killed amid protests outside the court where the lawyer was hacked to death by protesters, dragging him out of his chamber. It’s become a major rallying point in the country,” Moore said.
“As the leader of the country, as the interim leader of the country, there are no aspirations for the Bangladeshi people if you can’t manage a very, very simple component of civil society, which is you have to protect people. People have to be safe. And you certainly, you certainly cannot have a vibrant democratic country…if the rule of laws becomes so inefficient that instead of getting due process, a lawyer is killed,” he added.
Moore also voiced concern about the push by Bangladesh’s Attorney General to remove the word 'Secular' from the constitution, citing the increasing attacks on religious minorities.
“Bangladesh should ask for advice from India and the United States. These are incredibly pluralistic countries that despite a lot of religious competition people have found a way to manage it. Not perfectly. None of our countries are perfect. We make lots and lots of mistakes. But Bangladesh should ask for some help. But secondly, you can’t make these promises and not keep them. The second thing they need to do is take what’s happening seriously,” he said.
“The statement that came officially from Mohammed Yunus and the government of Bangladesh was in response to it – they diminished it. That’s not what a leader does. A leader takes issues like this seriously… I’m afraid that this mistake could have other consequential effects. The good news is it’s not too late to fix it… I’m sorry to say this, but we’re finding a lot around the world, a lot of countries that are using the term democracy but aren’t actually instituting its values,” he added.
Muhammad Yunus assumed the role of interim leader of Bangladesh in August this year.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has also voiced support for Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested on sedition charges for reportedly raising a flag on a stand that displayed Bangladesh's national flag.
Moore stated that the way the Bangladesh government is managing the crisis concerning minorities threatens to deprive the Bangladeshi people of the numerous advantages that could come from a close relationship with India, which is an "economic, technological, and political powerhouse."
Events leading to the arrest of the former ISKCON priest
Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu serves as the spokesperson for the Sanatan Jagaran Manch in Bangladesh and is the head of Pundarik Dham in Chittagong.
Before his arrest, he had organized public gatherings to advocate for the fulfillment of eight key demands from the Hindu community, which include:
Swift trials for cases of minority-targeted violence, along with appropriate compensation and rehabilitation for the victims.
The establishment of a Minority Protection Act.
The creation of a Ministry of Minority Affairs.
The elevation of Hindu Welfare Trusts to Hindu Foundations.
Proper enforcement of the ‘Property Recovery and Preservation Act’ and the ‘Transfer of Entrusted Property Act.’
The construction of worship places for minorities in all educational institutions, and the allocation of prayer rooms in every hostel.
The modernization of the Board of Sanskrit and Pali Education.
The mandatory designation of five days of holiday for Durga Puja.
On October 30th of this year, Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu, along with 18 others, was charged after Firoz Khan accused Hindus of disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag by allegedly placing a saffron Hindu flag on top of it at the New Market intersection in Chittagong.
This led to his arrest, sparking widespread protests within the Hindu community.
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