Former United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Commissioner Johnnie Moore has criticised the interim government of Bangladesh over the situation of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.

He said that there is no minority in the country which is not feeling threatened at present and Muhammad Yunus is failing.

In an interview to ANI, Moore said that the first responsibility of the government is to protect those in danger. He also said that this is a moment of existential threat not only for the minorities of Bangladesh but for the entire country.

Moore criticized the arrest of Chinmoy Das

Moore criticised the arrest of priest Chinmoy Krishna Das by Bangladesh police and said there was a perception among minorities that if they go after them, they will go after any one of us.

The former USCIRF commissioner said the global Christian community stands with the Hindu community in Bangladesh.

He said, Bangladesh is not just a Muslim country. It is a Muslim majority country with many minorities. There is no minority in the country that does not feel threatened at the moment. This has become clear globally in recent days, because this high-profile arrest is not just of a leader of the Hindu Bangladeshi community, but actually of a very serious religious person.

Christian community stands with Hindu community in Bangladesh

He said, I think the perception is that if they are after him, they can go after any one of us. I want to be very clear that the global Christian community stands with the Hindu community in Bangladesh. It is the first responsibility of the government to protect those who are in danger. The religious minorities of Bangladesh are now really feeling this and they deserve our support.

He said, We are not sure who is doing this exactly, but I just want to say that the way I see it, Mohammad Yunus is failing. That is what is happening in Bangladesh. As the leader of the country, as the interim leader of the country, there is no aspiration for the Bangladeshi people. If you cannot manage a very simple component of civil society, which is you have to protect people, keep people safe. If the rule of law becomes so incompetent that instead of getting due process, a lawyer is killed. It is unbelievable, I was astonished at the reaction to Yunus in the Bangladeshi government. They are saying this is an exaggeration. They are saying this is not as big a matter as it seems.

Moore said visuals and reports coming in from Bangladesh show how a Hindu priest was first arrested and then the local court denied him bail. "Then the lawyer defending the priest was killed amid protests outside the court, where protesters dragged the lawyer out of his chamber and killed him," Moore said. 

"As the interim leader of the country, the Bangladeshi people have no aspirations if you cannot manage a very simple component of civil society, which is to protect the people," he said.

Moore also expressed concern over Bangladesh Attorney General's attempt to remove the word 'secular' from the Constitution amid rising attacks on religious minorities.

Bangladesh should take advice from India and America

"Bangladesh should take advice from India and the US. These are incredibly pluralistic countries where people have found a way to manage it despite religious competition. None of our countries are perfect. We make a lot of mistakes. But Bangladesh should ask for some help. But secondly, you can't make these promises and then keep them. The second thing they need to do is take what is happening seriously," he said.

"The official statement that came out from Mohammad Yunus and the Bangladesh government was in response to that - they undermined it. A leader does not do that. A leader takes such issues seriously... I am afraid this mistake may have other consequences. The good news is that it is not too late to correct it... I am sorry to say this, but we are finding a lot around the world, a lot of countries that are using the word democracy but not really establishing its values," he said.

Muhammad Yunus took over as interim leader of Bangladesh in August this year.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) also showed solidarity with Chinmoy Krishna Das, who was arrested for hoisting the flag on a stand displaying the national flag of Bangladesh and on charges of sedition.

Moore said the way the Bangladesh government is handling the crisis relating to minorities threatens to deprive the Bangladeshi people of all the benefits that could accrue from close ties with India, which is "an economic, technological and political superpower".