US Capitol Hill Briefing Flags Flaws In Bangladesh Poll, Urges Action On Minority Rights

Last Updated:February 12, 2026, 00:02 IST

The event, titled “Violence Against Religious Minorities in Bangladesh,” was organised by HinduACTion and the Coalition of Hindus of North America.

A briefing at the US Capitol Hill in Washington has raised concerns about the credibility of Bangladesh’s upcoming parliamentary election, with speakers warning that a vote held without the Awami League, the party of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, would be “fundamentally flawed."

The briefing comes just three days before Bangladesh goes to the polls.

The event, titled “Violence Against Religious Minorities in Bangladesh," was organised on Monday by HinduACTion and the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA).

According to a report by Bangladeshi news outlet bdnews24, speakers at the briefing called for designating Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami party as a foreign terrorist organisation, imposing sanctions over alleged failures to protect democracy and minority rights, and holding the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus accountable for impunity in cases of extortion and sexual violence.

Indian-origin Representative Suhas Subramanyam, representing Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, pointed out rising attacks on Hindus and criticised the elections as “fundamentally flawed"

“Actions speak louder than words," Subramanyam said at the event, arguing the vote cannot be considered free or fair.

Republican Congressman Tom Barrett of Michigan stressed that the US remains committed to regional stability and does not support violence based on religious identity.

Michael Rubin, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, also supported calls to designate Jamaat as a terrorist organisation, calling Yunus as an “enemy of democracy and humanity" and warning that the February 12 election would lack legitimacy.

Participants issued a joint declaration urging the House Foreign Affairs Committee to convene an emergency oversight hearing on US engagement with Bangladesh, designate the country as a “country of particular concern" for religious freedom violations, and impose targeted sanctions.

The briefing comes as Bangladesh prepares for its crucial parliamentary elections on Thursday, 18 months after the interim government took charge following the collapse of Hasina’s 15-year rule.

Nearly one million security personnel have been deployed for the election. A total of 1,755 candidates, including 273 independents from 50 political parties, are contesting 299 parliamentary constituencies. The BNP has fielded the most candidates, with 291, while 83 women are among those standing.

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