Minorities in Bangladesh are hurting
Current Situation (2024)
In 2024, the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians, remains a critical human rights issue. Following the fall of the Awami League government in August, violence surged against minority groups:
- Hindus: Reports documented widespread arson, vandalism, and assault targeting Hindu households and temples. For instance:
- Over 1,000 attacks were reported between August 5–20, with 295 Hindu homes and businesses destroyed in Khulna alone. Multiple Hindu individuals have been killed, with numerous religious places attacked, including the vandalism of idols and temples.
- Buddhists: While the Buddhist community remains smaller, they have faced sporadic but significant attacks, such as land grabs and temple desecrations in southeastern districts like Bandarban and Chittagong. Historical tensions persist in areas near the Hill Tracts, where minority communities have long faced marginalization.
- Christians: Christians have reported rising hostility, including attacks on churches and Christian-run schools. In 2024, St. Gregory’s School in Dhaka faced vandalism, with the institution temporarily closing due to ongoing tensions.
The persecution of minorities has persisted since the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, largely fueled by systemic discrimination, religious intolerance, and political factors:
1971–2000: Post-Independence Challenges
- Following independence, the Hindu population, which was about 20% in 1971, steadily declined to 8% by 2001. This decline was largely due to targeted violence, forced migration, and systemic disenfranchisement through laws like the Vested Property Act.
- In 1972, numerous Buddhist monasteries were attacked and destroyed by government forces and settlers as part of policies aimed at altering the region’s demographic landscape. One significant reason for these attacks was the government’s objective to relocate Bengali Muslims into the region, thereby displacing indigenous Buddhists from their ancestral lands.
- In the 1990s, attacks on Hindu Durga Puja celebrations and Christian institutions increased, often linked to communal tensions. During these incidents, hindu temples were vandalized, houses were set on fire, and hundreds of Hindus were injured.
2001: Post-Election Violence
After the 2001 general elections, minorities faced widespread violence under the newly elected BNP-led government:
- Hindus: Over 18,000 incidents of rape against hindu women were documented, including murders, and the destruction of Hindu homes.[1] The report said several top BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami leaders had directly incited the grisly attacks where countrywide violence was perpetrated after the BNP-led alliance won the eighth parliamentary polls on Oct 1 that year.
- In 2001, a significant attack occurred at the Baniarchar Church in Gopalganj’s Maksudpur, where a bomb exploded during Sunday Mass, resulting in 10 fatalities among Christian worshippers. This attack was attributed to Shaikh Abdur Rahman, the leader of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islam (HUJI), an Islamist group known for extremist activities.

2012–2013: Attacks on Buddhists and Hindus
- On September 29, 2012, a series of violent attacks targeted the Buddhist community in Ramu, Cox’s Bazar District, Bangladesh. About 25 thousand Muslims set on fire and destroyed 22 Buddhist temples and hundreds of homes in south-eastern Bangladesh. The violence was triggered by rumors that a Buddhist youth had posted an image on Facebook deemed insulting to the Quran. Investigations later revealed the image was photoshopped, and the youth’s account may have been hacked to incite the attacks.[2]

- The 2013 Shahbagh protests followed in response to an International Crimes Tribunal’s life imprisonment sentence for Abdul Quader Molla, a Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leader convicted of war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War. They unfortunately morphed into anti-Hindu violence, where dozens of Hindu temples were destroyed by Islamist groups like Jamaat-e-Islami. Attacks occurred in several districts of Bangladesh including Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Chittagong, Comilla, Brahmanbaria, Cox’s Bazar, Bagerhat, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat, Barisal, Bhola, Barguna, Satkhira, Chapainawabganj, Natore, Sylhet, Manikganj, Munshiganj[3]. Several temples were vandalized and at least 2 Hindus died due to injuries in the violence

2016: Rise in Targeted Killings
- Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and secular activists became victims of targeted killings by extremists. For example:
- Hindu priest Jogeshwar Roy was hacked to death in February 2016 seeking to create an atmosphere of religious intimidation and fear in them to abandon their communities, adopt Islam, or live under submission to these extremist ideologies.

- Christian pastors and Buddhist monks faced similar threats and attacks. Many Christians had to flee their homes in rural districts, where extremist groups like ISIS pressured them to either convert to Islam or leave their communities entirely. Machete attacks and shootings were among the common methods.
- Churches across several regions, especially in rural districts like Dinajpur, Chittagong, and Sylhet, were frequently vandalized and destroyed. Explosions and IED attacks were sometimes used to target church buildings
Systemic Issues
The grim situation continues for several reasons:
- Legal Discrimination: Laws like the Vested Property Act (now repealed but with lingering effects) disproportionately dispossessed Hindus of their lands.
- Lack of Accountability: Few perpetrators of violence against minorities have been prosecuted, creating a culture of impunity.
- Political Exploitation: Minorities are often scapegoated during elections, with their properties looted or attacked for political gains.
- Religious Intolerance: The rise of Islamist extremism has fueled hostility against religious minorities.
Impact
- Since independence, over 11 million Hindus have reportedly fled Bangladesh due to persecution.
- Thousands of temples, monasteries, and churches have been vandalized or destroyed.
- Tens of thousands of minority families have been displaced or economically devastated due to communal violence.
Conclusion
The persecution of minorities in Bangladesh reflects deep-rooted social, political, and religious challenges. Although some initiatives have been taken to address these issues, they remain insufficient in the face of entrenched discrimination and systemic failures. Urgent measures, including robust legal frameworks, protection mechanisms, and social reforms, are necessary to ensure the safety and rights of minority communities in Bangladesh.
[1] https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/2001-violence-on-hinduscaretakers-bnp-jamaat-blamed
[2] https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Bangladesh,-25-thousand-Muslims-set-fire-to-22-Buddhist-temples-25959.html