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Published : 18 Mar 2025, 12:32 AM
US Intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard has said the "persecution of religious minorities" in Bangladesh is a "major area of concern" for the United States.
In an interview with the Indian news channel NDTV World on Monday, she said: "The longtime unfortunate persecution, killing, and abuse of religious minorities like Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and others has been a major area of concern for the US government and President Trump and his administration."
Gabbard was also asked to comment on the rise of “Islamic extremism” and terrorist elements in Bangladesh.
She replied, “The talks are just beginning between President Trump's new cabinet and the Bangladesh interim government, but this continues to remain a central focus area of concern."
US Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Gabbard is on a three-day visit to India.
She attended a conclave tied to security joined by the intelligence chiefs from Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.
She is scheduled to address India's regular multilateral conference “Raisina Dialogue” on geopolitics and geoeconomics on Tuesday.
She will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval during the visit.
Gabbard will also visit Japan and Thailand as part of her Indo-Pacific tour.
While speaking about the ideology of an "Islamic Caliphate" during the conversation about Bangladesh in the interview, Gabbard said: "The threat of Islamist terrorists and the global effort of different terror groups are routed in the same ideology and objective - which is to rule or govern with an Islamist Caliphate.
"This obviously affects people of any other religion, other than the one that they find acceptable, and they chose to carry this out with terror and violent ways and means."
She added, “President Donald Trump is determined to identify and defeat such an ideology and end the rise of what he calls ‘radical Islamic terrorism’.”
Gabbard was nominated by President Trump in November for the top job in national intelligence after winning a second term in office.
She currently oversees 18 intelligence agencies, such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the defence, army, navy, and air force.
Modi was the first foreign leader to visit the United States after Trump took over as US president for the second term.
The issue of Bangladesh also came up in their meeting in mid-February.
Briefing journalists after the meeting between the two global leaders, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the Indian prime minister conveyed to the US president his concern over the developments following the political transition in Bangladesh.
