An Open Letter to SAARC for the Protection of Minorities in Bangladesh and Pakistan

A Plea for the Safety of Minorities 

To,

The Secretary-General,

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

Subject: Appeal for SAARC’s Intervention and Monitoring Regarding the Safety of Religious and Ethnic Minorities in Bangladesh and Pakistan

Respected Sir/Madam,

We write this letter as concerned citizens of India and a believer in the founding principles of SAARC — regional cooperation, peace, human dignity, and mutual respect among nations. There has been consistent mistreatment of minorities in countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh where non-Muslims are not even treated as human beings. Be it the recent inhuman lynching of Deepu Chandra Das and killing of Khokan Chandra Das in Bangladesh or be it terrorist attacks by Pakistan. Earlier Nadeem Nath was shot dead in Pakistan when he refused to convert to Islam.

Over the past years, and with renewed intensity in recent times, there have been repeated reports from independent journalists, civil society groups, and human rights observers regarding systematic discrimination, violence, forced displacement, and intimidation faced by religious and ethnic minorities in Bangladesh and Pakistan. These include, but are not limited to, Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, and other vulnerable communities.

Such incidents — whether they involve destruction of places of worship, forced conversions, abductions, denial of legal justice, or targeted violence — do not remain internal matters alone. They affect the moral credibility, regional stability, and humanitarian conscience of South Asia as a whole.

SAARC, as a regional body, was envisioned not merely as an economic or diplomatic forum, but also as a platform that upholds human values and social justice across member states. 

While SAARC’s founding charter does not currently include a dedicated human rights enforcement mechanism, this appeal is inspired by previous civil society efforts that have called for the establishment of a regional human rights framework under SAARC to protect fundamental freedoms and minorities.

In this context, we humbly urge SAARC to consider the following:

1. The initiation of an independent fact-finding or monitoring mechanism to assess the condition of minorities in member nations where concerns are repeatedly raised.

2. The encouragement of structured dialogues with national governments to ensure constitutional and international human-rights protections are upheld for all citizens.

3. The facilitation of regional cooperation on minority rights, legal safeguards, and rehabilitation of affected communities.

4. The reaffirmation of SAARC’s commitment to pluralism, religious freedom, cultural coexistence, and the protection of fundamental rights as central to South Asian stability.

This appeal is not directed against any nation or people, but arises from the conviction that silence in the face of suffering weakens regional unity, whereas moral leadership strengthens it.

We sincerely hope SAARC will acknowledge these concerns and take constructive steps within its mandate to ensure that no community in South Asia lives in fear because of its faith or identity.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Yours sincerely,

The Aadyanagha Foundation