Washington, Dec 12 (PTI) An Indian-American Congressman Thursday urged members of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee to address the issue of violence against minorities, primarily Hindus, in Bangladesh during the confirmation hearing of Senator Marco Rubio for the position of the Secretary of State.
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Senator Rubio for the top diplomatic position. The date of his confirmation hearing has not been announced yet.
"As targeted violence against Hindus and other minorities continues amid the disorder in Bangladesh, I urge the members of the Senate's Committee on Foreign Relations to address this crisis directly during the upcoming hearings to confirm Senator Rubio as the next US Secretary of State,” Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said.
"Through publicly conferring on the turmoil in Bangladesh, Senator Rubio must reaffirm the incoming administration's position on this issue and pledge concrete action steps to combat anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh,” he said in a statement.
There have been a spate of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities, as well as attacks on temples in Bangladesh in the last few weeks.
On Tuesday, Bangladesh interim government head Muhammad Yunus' press secretary Shafiqul Alam acknowledged 88 incidents of communal violence against minorities, primarily Hindus, following the ouster of then-premier Sheikh Hasina in August.
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