US responds amid row over Tulsi Gabbard's 'Caliphate' remark on Bangladesh

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard had said that minority violence in Bangladesh stems from an ideology aiming to establish Islamist rule and a Caliphate

Amid a row over US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s comments on violence against minorities in Bangladesh, the White House on Wednesday said that the United States appreciates the steps taken by the South Asian nation's interim government to “ensure safety and security for all”.

 

  During a media briefing, US Department of State spokesperson Tammy Bruce reiterated America’s stance against violence and intolerance toward minority communities.  

 

“We condemn any instances of violence or intolerance directed towards members of minority communities in any country and have welcomed measures taken by Bangladesh’s interim government to ensure safety and security for all in Bangladesh. That’s what we’re watching. That’s what we expect. And that will be what continues,” she said.  

 

 

Gabbard’s remarks have sparked significant debate. She asserted that violence against minorities in Bangladesh, along with the threat posed by Islamist extremists, stems from an “ideology and objective to rule and govern with an Islamist Caliphate”.

 

“The long-time unfortunate persecution and killing and abuse of religious minorities – Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Catholics and others – has been a major area of concern for the US government and President Trump and his administration,” she had said in an interview with NDTV.

 

“This continues to remain a central focus area of concern...with the threat of Islamist terrorists and... the global effort of these different groups that are rooted in their same ideology, their same objective, which is to rule and govern with an Islamist caliphate,” she said.

 

She also emphasised that while discussions between US President Donald Trump and Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, are in the early stages, the issue of Islamic terrorism remains a ‘central focus of concern’.  

 

Her statements have drawn strong criticism from the Bangladeshi government, which described them as "misleading and damaging" to the country’s reputation.  

 

In response, the Chief Adviser’s office issued a statement rejecting Gabbard’s claims, arguing that they unfairly generalise the entire nation. “This statement is both misleading and damaging to the image and reputation of Bangladesh, a nation whose traditional practice of Islam has been famously inclusive and peaceful and that has made remarkable strides in its fight against extremism and terrorism,” the statement read.  

 

The statement further highlighted Bangladesh’s efforts to counter extremism, noting that the country has actively collaborated with the international community, including the US, through law enforcement, social reforms, and other counterterrorism initiatives.