Rubio follows through Trump’s ‘vision’ on minority rights in Bangladesh: Spokesperson

New York: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio follows through with President Donald Trump’s “vision”, State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce remarked when asked about Trump’s pre-election statement about the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh.

She said on Monday at her briefing in Washington, “Secretary Rubio, of course, follows through with his (Trump’s) vision and the nature of the choices that are made in that regard”.

Meanwhile, at the United Nations in New York, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq was asked if Guterres had raised human rights abuses of Hindus in Bangladesh during his visit to that country.

Haq said, “In his talks overall with officials, he made sure to address any concerns we have regarding human rights”.

Shortly before the November election, Trump posted on X, “I strongly condemn the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities who are getting attacked and looted by mobs in Bangladesh, which remains in a total state of chaos.”

Referencing it, Bruce was asked about Rubio’s “assessment about the situation of Hindus in Bangladesh, and what steps he is taking to address” the concern of Trump.

While saying Rubio follows through on Trump’s vision, she refused to elaborate, asserting, “When it comes to again, negotiations, diplomatic considerations, and the conversations that those involve, and what might happen … I don’t want to presume here what the outcome will be”.

She added, “What I’m not going to answer is, diplomatic considerations, from government to government or attitudes and approaches when it comes to what’s happening in a certain country that belongs within a diplomatic kind of conversation”.

Earlier in New Delhi, US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the persecution of religious minorities in Bangladesh “continues to remain a central focus area of concern” with that country.

In an interview with NDTV, she said, “The long-time unfortunate persecution, killing and abuse of religious minorities — Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Catholics and others — have been a major area of concern for the United States government and of course President Trump and his administration.”

–IANS