Washington D.C. (August 7, 2015) --Niloy Chatterjee, better known as Niloy Neel, his pen name as an atheist blogger, was the latest victim of religiously motivated violence in Bangladesh. Niloy gained notoriety in Bangladesh as a secular activist of Hindu origin, who spoke out against religious fundamentalism and demanded the death penalty for 1971 war crimes perpetrators. According to media reports, Niloy was targeted for months by extremists claiming to be Al Qaeda in South Asia, and was refused police protection. He was attacked and murdered in his Dhaka residence on Thursday, August 6, 2015.

â€œNiloy Neelâ€™s murder is emblematic of Bangladeshâ€™s current existential crisis,â€ said Samir Kalra, Esq., Senior Director and Human Rights Fellow at the Hindu American Foundation (HAF). â€œThe secular promise of Bangladeshâ€™s independence movement has dissipated into a distant dream for religious minorities and atheists. Without strong government intervention, as well as greater outcry from a broader cross-section of Bangladeshi society, the persecution and targeting of religious minorities and atheists will continue unabated.â€

Just last week, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) introduced H.Res. 396, a bipartisan resolution demanding increased U.S. Government focus on mounting religious persecution in Bangladesh. The resolution is the first to demand justice for the victims of mass violence and atrocities committed during the 1971 Bangladesh independence movement.

H.Res. 396 similarly brings attention to other atheist bloggers previously murdered in Bangladesh, specifically referencing US citizen Avijit Roy. According to HAF, these murders are due in large part to a drastic rise in religious intolerance, as well as the growing power of radical Islamist parties such asJamaat-e-Islami, and with its youth wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, who espouse a narrow sectarian agenda with limited rights for minorities and atheists.

â€œWe believe H.Res 396 is the appropriate legislative vehicle to drive American policy makersâ€™ attention towards the deteriorating situation in Bangladesh,â€ said Jay Kansara, HAF Director of Government Relations. â€œThis legislation sheds light on the circumstances which led to Niloy Neelâ€™s murder, while simultaneously highlighting the systemic persecution of Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh. There is genuine fear on the ground that extremists will succeed in their quest to create an Islamic state in Bangladesh.â€

HAF leaders believe that H.Res 396 comprehensively addresses the concerns of Bangladeshâ€™s religious minorities and atheists and implores the Government of Bangladesh to protect the human rights and religious freedom of all its citizens. Hindu Americans from across the country have been actively participating in a nationwide call-in campaign, urging their Members of Congress to cosponsor the resolution.

Kalra added, â€œWith this latest attack in Bangladesh, Congressional support for H.Res. 396 is now more critical than ever.â€

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Latest murder of secular blogger in Bangladesh reinforces significance of H. Res 396