United States President Joe Biden is closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh and US expects the interim government to ensure protection of religious and ethnic minorities, the White House said yesterday.

White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby told a news briefing, "We're watching this very, very, very closely, and the president is following events closely as well."

Responding to a question from Lalit K Jha, the head of PTI bureau in Washington DC, Kirby said, "The security situation in Bangladesh has been difficult following the ouster of the former prime minister. And we have been working closely with the interim government to enhance the capability of their law enforcement and security services to deal with the challenge."

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The PTI bureau chief had said in his question, "Over the past few weeks, several Hindu American groups across the country have been holding protest march — one outside the White House over the weekend. They're protesting against the continued killings of Hindus and the temples in Bangladesh after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's government."

Jha then asked Kirby, "Is the president aware about it? Did he raise this issue when he met his friend and the interim government chief Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines of the UN?"

"We have been very clear in our engagement with all Bangladeshi leaders that protection of religious and ethnic minorities … security to all Bangladeshis regardless of religion or ethnicity. We want to hold them to that," Kirby concluded, in his response to Jha's question.

Indian Americans have also demonstrated in several American cities, including Chicago, New York, Detroit, Houston and Atlanta, protesting against alleged persecution and brutalities of Hindus in Bangladesh and urging President Biden to help stop it.

Earlier in the day, Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi urged members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to address the issue of violence against minorities, primarily Hindus, in Bangladesh during the confirmation hearing of Senator Marco Rubio for the position of Secretary of State.

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"As targeted violence against Hindus and other minorities continues amid the disorder in Bangladesh, I urge the members of the Senate's Committee on Foreign Relations to address this crisis directly during the upcoming hearings to confirm Senator Rubio as the next US secretary of state," Krishnamoorthi said.