‘Episode of terrorism’: Congressional briefing calls out ‘coordinated violence’ against Hindus in Bangladesh ahead of February 12 elections

The Coalition of Hindus in North America (CoHNA) and HinduAction hosted a congressional briefing that highlighted testimony from witnesses and activists describing violence against Hindus in Bangladesh under Chief Counsel Muhammad Yunus Violence as coordination.The report comes a day before Bangladesh holds national elections on February 12. Participants in the event, which included journalists, human rights advocates, survivors, policy experts and the Bangladeshi Hindu diaspora, painted a picture of worsening fear, institutional breakdown and a climate of impunity. HNA Group Board member Sudha Jagannathan urged policymakers to center “the voices of victims,” ​​saying silence was unacceptable and describing the current situation as a massacre. Speakers called on Congress and the State Department to publicly condemn the violence, hold hearings, designate Bangladesh as a country of special concern, designate the Jamaat-e-Islami as a foreign terrorist organization, and impose Global Magnitsky sanctions against Muhammad Yunus. Michael Rubin, a keynote speaker at the American Enterprise Institute, advocated for sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act and compared Bangladesh’s trajectory to Islamist trends in Turkey and Iran. He warned the international community not to have false trust in Yunus. Lawmakers and former officials have expressed concern. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.) encouraged continued advocacy against extremist threats. Rep. Subrahmanyam (D-VA) questioned whether the upcoming elections can be considered “free and fair,” noting that Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League has been banned since May 2025 and its student wing has been declared a “terrorist organization” since October 2024. Former Senator Samuel Brownback warned that continued violence against minorities could destabilize the country and drive out religious communities. Witnesses shared first-hand accounts of intimidation, allegedly coordinated violence and targeting of Hindu families and institutions. Some warn that the population could disappear if current trends continue. Diaspora youth spokespeople described recording incidents, alleged voter coercion and the psychological toll taken on minorities. Other experts have alleged institutional collusion, citing cases of mob violence, arrests of peaceful protesters, the release of Islamist militants and attacks on the media. Some have warned that Bangladesh risks political instability and wider regional security consequences.Rana Hassan Mahmood of the Center on U.S.-Bangladesh Relations warned that Bangladesh was heading toward “a sham election with a predetermined outcome.” He warned that by allowing Muhammad Yunus to remain in power, “we are contributing to the creation of a new center of terrorism whose repercussions will extend far beyond Bangladesh’s borders.” Organizers said the briefing was part of a broader grassroots campaign to draw international attention to issues of minority rights and religious freedom in Bangladesh.