Bay Area Billboards #AskYunusWhy As Minorities In Bangladesh Face Persecution

India-West Staff Reporter

OAKLAND, CA – In the final weeks of 2024 and continuing into the new year, a new billboard campaign across the Bay Area is calling attention to the ongoing persecution of religious minorities in Bangladesh. The campaign, titled #AskYunusWhy, seeks to raise awareness of the plight of Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians in the country, particularly in the wake of Sheikh Hasina’s ouster and the rise of Mohammad Yunus’ interim government.

The first of these billboards, unveiled just before Christmas, is prominently displayed at a key location on Freeway 880-N and Market Street in Oakland. A second billboard appeared in the first week of January on the San Mateo-Hayward CA-92 Westbound. Over the next three months, digital billboards will appear at six high-traffic locations across the Bay Area, including major bridges, delivering impactful messages aimed at sparking discussion and calling for action.

The initiative is organized by the United Hindu Council (@UHC_Media) and Hindu Americans in the Silicon Valley, driven by a group of grassroots leaders who are committed to shedding light on the atrocities faced by religious minorities in Bangladesh. Since Yunus formed his interim government, these communities have endured increasing levels of persecution, and the campaign is calling for accountability.

Ramya Ramakrishnan, Community Outreach Director for the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), expressed strong support for the efforts of the Bay Area Hindu community in bringing this issue to the forefront. “People have been asking what they can do as individuals and constituents to make their voices heard by those in power. They’re also frustrated by biased media reports that leave out the full scope of the situation for Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. This campaign is their way of taking action,” she said.

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