Jan 10 – Bangladesh\u2019s minority communities say fear is tightening its grip as the country heads into parliamentary elections in February 2026, warning that a rising wave of communal attacks is being used to intimidate them and weaken their ability to take part in the vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council says violence in recent weeks has followed a disturbing pattern that suggests coordination rather than chance. In a statement, the organisation reported at least 51 serious incidents in December 2025, ranging from killings and arson to looting, abductions and assaults. It also cited cases of torture linked to blasphemy allegations, attempted rape and attacks on places of worship and homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The council says the violence did not ease with the new year. It claims the first days of January brought more killings, the hostage-taking of entire families, sexual violence and extensive destruction of property owned by members of minority communities in multiple regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In its warning, the council argues these are not isolated criminal acts but part of a systematic campaign designed to instil panic, drive communities into silence and ultimately obstruct free political participation. It has urged both the government and the Election Commission to intervene with urgent and concrete measures, saying any delay risks a deeper collapse of security and public trust in the legitimacy of the election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Hindu community has become especially vulnerable during the current political turbulence, the council says, as polarisation increasingly spills into communal targeting. It argues that public narratives portraying Hindus as aligned with previous political leadership have deepened suspicion, with the effect that ordinary religious activity, public gatherings and even minority neighbourhoods can become flashpoints after political incidents. In that environment, religious identity, the council warns, is being treated as a political marker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The organisation cited a number of cases from December, including the killing of 27-year-old Dipu Chandra Das in Baluka, Mymensingh, after allegations of blasphemy. It also reported arson attacks on Hindu homes in parts of southern Bangladesh, including Dumritala village, where several houses were destroyed. The council linked these events to earlier attacks recorded in 2025, including incidents in Gangachara where dozens of Hindu homes were looted, forcing families to flee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Minority organisations say the trend stretches back further. Since mid-2024, they have documented thousands of incidents involving harassment, intimidation and violence against Hindus and other non-Muslim groups, including vandalism of temples and property theft. Some communities, they say, have scaled back public religious events and now seek police protection even for routine observances. Durga Puja celebrations held late in 2025, the council noted, proceeded under heavy security in several areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The council also flagged the Chittagong Hill Tracts as a particular hotspot, where indigenous and non-Muslim groups report overlapping pressures \u2014 communal attacks, land-related tensions and security crackdowns. It said protests linked to serious crimes, including sexual violence against minors, have ended in fatalities, while attacks blamed on illegal settlers have triggered mass mobilisation, in some cases amid allegations of state tolerance or complicity. The burning of homes and Buddhist temples, it added, shows how ethnic and territorial disputes are intersecting with religious targeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rights advocates say the climate is worsened by a shrinking civic space. The council pointed to attacks on media houses, arrests and harassment of journalists under sweeping security laws, and weakened oversight bodies such as the National Human Rights Commission. The result, it argues, is a widening gap in accountability that leaves minorities without protection and reinforces impunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Looking beyond Bangladesh, the statement situates the crisis within a wider regional pattern where religious identity is weaponised for exclusion. It points to Myanmar\u2019s treatment of the Rohingya as an example of state-driven deprivation and displacement, and to Pakistan where minority communities have faced abductions, forced conversions and recurring violence, with blasphemy laws often used as instruments of coercion. It also warns that Iran represents a further extreme, where state authority and religious dogma are fused, and freedom of conscience and dissent are criminalised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Together, the council argues, these cases show how rapidly political tension can slide into communal targeting \u2014 eroding fundamental rights and hollowing out democratic legitimacy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Jan 10 – Bangladesh\u2019s minority communities say fear is tightening its grip as the country heads into parliamentary elections in February 2026, warning that a rising wave of communal attacks is being used to intimidate them and weaken their ability to take part in the vote. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council says violence […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13682,"featured_media":730093,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"coauthors":[7495],"class_list":["post-789752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n