Bangladesh Emphasizes 'Longstanding' Ties with the US as Trump Prepares for Second Term
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Dhaka, Dec 5 (NationPress) Under international pressure for its actions against minorities, especially Hindus, the interim government of Bangladesh, headed by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, made an appeal for friendship towards the new administration in Washington on Thursday. They emphasized that the longstanding relationship of five decades will remain intact as Donald Trump embarks on his second term as President of the United States next month.
“Our bilateral relationship with the United States is longstanding and multifaceted. The US is one of our key trade and investment partners, and both nations share numerous mutual interests. Bangladesh has collaborated with both Democratic and Republican administrations for over five decades,” stated Mohammad Rafiqul Alam, spokesperson for the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry, during a weekly media briefing in Dhaka.
According to local media, Alam remarked that there is a “minimal chance of conflict” between the two nations regarding mutual interests, given that Bangladesh has previously engaged with the Trump administration.
This new position from the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry appears to be an effort by the interim government to mitigate public concerns regarding potential repercussions from Washington following reports of persecution against minority communities in the country since the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5 of this year.
In the previous month, during his presidential campaign, Trump condemned the increasing violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.
In a strongly worded message on X, Trump conveyed Diwali greetings to Hindu Americans while criticizing Bangladesh, calling it “a total state of chaos.”
“I strongly condemn the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities who are being attacked and looted by mobs in Bangladesh, which remains in a total state of chaos,” he stated, accusing his Democratic rival Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden of neglecting the suffering of Hindus worldwide.
“This would never have happened on my watch,” wrote Trump. “Kamala and Joe have ignored Hindus across the globe and in America... We will also protect Hindu Americans from the anti-religion agenda of the radical left. We will fight for your freedom,” he added.
In the same message, the President-elect also discussed the need to strengthen the “great partnership” with India and his “good friend, Prime Minister Modi.”
Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the President of the Bangladesh Awami League (AL) and daughter of the “Father of the Nation” Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, will be closely monitoring the developments in the coming weeks.
Earlier this week, while addressing an Awami League event virtually from New York, Hasina harshly criticized the interim government and Yunus for reportedly targeting Hindu temples, including ISKCON sites, and other minority religious places in Bangladesh.
“Today, I have been accused of mass killings. In reality, it is Muhammad Yunus who is responsible for mass killings through a deliberate plan along with his student coordinators. They are the masterminds,” she claimed during a speech that gained traction on social media.
Last week, following the arrest and imprisonment of Chinmoy Krishna Das, a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilit Sanatan Jagran Jote and affiliated with Iskcon Bangladesh, Hasina condemned the “tortures” inflicted on ordinary citizens by the interim government and called for the “immediate release” of the Hindu priest.
“A top leader of the Sanatan religious community has been unjustly arrested; he must be released immediately,” Hasina asserted while highlighting the ongoing crimes against minorities in Bangladesh since August 2024.
“A temple has been set ablaze in Chittagong. Previously, mosques, shrines, churches, monasteries, and homes of the Ahmadiyya community have been attacked, vandalized, looted, and set on fire. Religious freedom and the safety of life and property for all communities must be guaranteed,” she emphasized.
“Following the killings of numerous Awami League leaders, workers, students, and members of law enforcement, harassment continues through assaults and arrests. I strongly condemn and protest against these anarchistic activities,” Hasina declared.
