US closely monitoring Bangladesh situation, White House says 

The United States is closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby said Wednesday. 

Kirby, speaking at a press briefing, noted said that President Joe Biden is also following the developments. "We’re watching this very, very, very closely, and the president is following events closely as well," he said.

Kirby’s comments came in response to a question from Lalit K Jha, the chief of India’s PTI bureau in Washington.

Jha had asked about the recent protests by Hindu American groups, including one outside the White House over the weekend, protesting attacks on Hindus and temples in Bangladesh following Hasina’s removal from office. 

“Is the president aware of it? Did he raise this issue when he met his friend and interim government chief Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the U.N.?” Jha asked. 

"The security situation in Bangladesh has been difficult following the ouster of the former prime minister, and we’ve been working closely with the interim government to enhance the capability of their law enforcement and security services to deal with the challenge," Kirby responded. 

"We’ve been very clear in our engagement with all Bangladeshi leaders that protection of religious and ethnic minorities is absolutely critical, and the leaders of the interim government have repeatedly committed to providing security to all Bangladeshis, regardless of religion or ethnicity. We want to hold them to that," he added.