Christmas turned into a day of devastation for the Christian community in Chittagong, Bangladesh, as radical Islamists unleashed terror by setting 16 homes ablaze. The attack occurred while families were away at church celebrating the holy day, leaving their homes vulnerable to this act of sheer brutality.

This incident is yet another grim reminder of the precarious situation faced by religious minorities in Bangladesh. Despite repeated assaults on minority communities, the Bangladeshi government has failed to rein in radical Islamist elements, allowing them to operate with near-impunity. This laxity has emboldened extremists, resulting in a sustained pattern of violence and persecution against Christians, Hindus, and other minority groups.

The repeated failure of the Bangladeshi government to address the growing influence of radical Islamists has drawn widespread criticism. Observers have noted that successive administrations have turned a blind eye to the plight of minorities, often prioritizing political appeasement over justice and equality. This inaction not only violates the constitutional promise of protection for all citizens but also erodes the country’s secular foundations.

The international community has long urged Bangladesh to uphold its commitments to human rights and minority protection, yet the ground reality remains grim.

In yet another chilling testament to the ongoing persecution of minorities in Pakistan, a young Hindu girl has been found strangled to death, her life cut short by the systemic violence that has become a horrifying norm in the country. This latest tragedy highlights the grim reality faced by Pakistan’s dwindling Hindu community, which teeters on the brink of extinction due to decades of Army-sponsored discrimination and unchecked atrocities.

Paki establishment is the reason for enabling this slow genocide. The Pakistan Army, notorious for its oppressive tactics, has long fostered an environment where religious minorities are treated as second-class citizens. Their complicity in the persecution of Hindus—alongside Christians, Sikhs, and other minorities—reflects the institutionalized bigotry entrenched in the country’s power structures.

Forced conversions, abductions, sexual violence, and murders have become disturbingly common for Hindu girls and women in Pakistan. Time and again, young Hindu girls are abducted, raped, and forcibly converted to Islam, often with the complicity of local authorities who either turn a blind eye or actively aid the perpetrators. This most recent murder is part of a sinister pattern aimed at erasing the Hindu community from Pakistan’s social fabric.

The Pakistani establishment weaponizes blasphemy laws to silence dissent and maintain a stranglehold over its people. Hindus, along with other religious minorities, live in constant fear, knowing that accusations of blasphemy can lead to mob violence or Army-sanctioned punishments.

The international community’s silence on this “drip-drip genocide” is deafening. How many more lives must be lost before the world pays attention? If the current trajectory continues, the Hindu community in Pakistan—already reduced to less than two percent of the population—faces complete disappearance.

PTM America held a large Jirga in California on December 22nd, uniting leaders and activists from across the United States. The gathering pledged unwavering support for the Pashtun National Jirga held on October 11th in Pakistan, where the plight of Pashtuns under the oppressive policies of the Punjabi Pak Army was brought to the forefront.

The California Jirga saw the adoption of an eight-point resolution aimed at implementing the decisions of the October Jirga, focusing on addressing the systematic injustices faced by Pashtuns. These include enforced disappearances, militarized checkpoints, and the weaponization of counterterrorism to exert brutal control over their ancestral lands. Speakers emphasized that the war on terror has become a convenient pretext for the Punjabi Pak Army to suppress Pashtun voices, forcibly displace their communities, and exploit their natural resources for the benefit of the establishment.

The plight of Pashtuns remains dire, with thousands subjected to enforced disappearances—an insidious tactic used by the military to silence dissent. Families of the missing continue their tireless search for answers, often facing intimidation themselves. Meanwhile, militarized checkpoints in Pashtun regions are a daily reminder of the Army’s colonial mindset, treating Pashtuns as second-class citizens in their own homeland.

Journalists and activists associated with the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) have faced the brunt of the establishment’s wrath, targeted with violence, harassment, and arbitrary arrests for daring to expose the injustices inflicted on their people. The PTM has consistently called for accountability, demanding an end to military excesses and the restoration of Pashtun dignity and autonomy.