Read Time: 03 minutes

Advocates from the Supreme Court have written to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) over the issue of alleged targeted and systematic killings of minority Hindus residing in Bangladesh in the past few days.

The letter written by Advocate Gautam Jha and Advocate Pankaj Kumar has asked the office of the High Commissioner to look into the matter and send a fact-finding mission to Bangladesh while stating that "Bangladesh must uphold its human rights obligations under ICERD, ICCPR, and other international human rights law treaties “in good faith,” and may not invoke “the provisions of its internal law as justification for its failure to perform its obligations under treaties.”

The letter has stated, "In the last 10 days alone, over 150 Mother Durga Puja Pandals have been destroyed and over 362 icons of deities demolished in Bangladesh by Islamic Extremist Forces."

It has been alleged that, "More than 1,000 Hindus have been injured and till now 10 Hindus have been reported dead. Many Hindu women and girls were reportedly gang raped in Bangladesh. The victims and survivors include men, women, girls, children, old women and men."

"More than 50 temples including three ISKCON temples, ashrams of Ram Krishna Mission have been destroyed. The state protection appears to be a moot. The attacks were systematic and threats are imminent," the letter added.

Relying upon the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination the letter argued that it is the obligation of the State parties to respect and ensure racial equality and the right to be free from racial discrimination.