The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) and HinduAction hosted a congressional briefing highlighting testimonies from witnesses and activists who described the violence against Hindus in Bangladesh under Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus as a coordinated violence.The report came just a day ahead of the Bangladesh contested February 12 national election. The event featured journalists, human rights advocates, survivors, policy experts, and members of the Bangladeshi Hindu diaspora, who portrayed a worsening climate of fear, institutional breakdown, and impunity. CoHNA board member Sudha Jagannathan urged policymakers to center “victim voices,” calling silence unacceptable and describing the situation as a pogrom. Speakers called on Congress and the State Department to publicly condemn the violence, hold hearings, designate Bangladesh as a Country of Particular Concern, classify Jamaat-e-Islami as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and impose Global Magnitsky sanctions on Muhammad Yunus. Keynote speaker Michael Rubin of the American Enterprise Institute advocated sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act and compared Bangladesh’s trajectory to Islamist trends in Turkey and Iran. He warned against what he characterized as misplaced international trust in Yunus. Lawmakers and former officials signaled concern. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-MI) encouraged continued advocacy on extremist threats. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) questioned whether the upcoming election could be considered “free and fair,” noting that Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League has been banned since May 2025 and its student wing declared a “terrorist organization” since October 2024. Former Senator Samuel Brownback warned that sustained violence against minorities could destabilize the country and drive out religious communities. Witnesses shared firsthand accounts of intimidation, alleged coordinated violence, and the targeting of Hindu families and institutions. Some warned that demographic erasure could occur if current trends continue. Diaspora youth speakers described documenting incidents, alleged voter coercion, and the psychological toll on minorities. Additional experts alleged institutional complicity, citing cases of mob violence, arrests of peaceful protesters, the release of Islamist militants, and attacks on media outlets. Some warned that Bangladesh risks political instability and broader regional security consequences.Rana Hassan Mahmud from the Center for US–Bangladesh Relations warned that Bangladesh is heading toward “a sham election with predetermined results.” He cautioned that by allowing Muhammad Yunus to remain in power, “we are enabling the creation of a new hub of terrorism whose repercussions will extend far beyond Bangladesh’s borders.” Organizers said the briefing is part of a wider grassroots campaign to draw international attention to minority rights and religious freedom concerns in Bangladesh.
