As Bangladesh is poised for a crucial election, past and recent violence against minorities highlights unresolved questions of protection and accountability, writes Dr. Sangeeta Mohanty.
Between December 2025 and January 2026, Bangladesh saw a renewed spate of violence against religious minorities, especially members of the Hindu community, according to police reports and documentation by human rights groups including Amnesty International and the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC). A series of killings was reported in the aftermath of the assassination of Sharif Osman Hadi, a youth leader known for promoting anti-India sentiment.
Among the reported cases is the killing of Dipu Chandra Das, a 29-year-old garment factory worker, who was lynched by a mob in the northern district of Mymensingh, following what police described as false blasphemy allegations. Local media reported he was tied to a tree and set on fire.
In a separate incident in the same district, Bajendra Biswas, a 40-year-old paramilitary officer, was shot dead by unidentified assailants.
Elsewhere, Khokon Chandra Das, a 50-year-old businessman in Shariatpur district in central Bangladesh, was attacked by a group of men armed with sharp weapons. He was beaten, set on fire and died in hospital three days after the assault, according to media reports.
In Jessore district in southern Bangladesh, Rana Pratap Bairagi, a 45-year-old businessman and a newspaper editor, was fatally shot in the head, with the attackers also slitting his throat.
Other incidents include the stabbing to death of Sarat Mani Chakraborty, a 40-year-old grocery shop owner in Narsingdi district in central Bangladesh, and the beating to death of Samir Das, a 28-year-old auto-rickshaw driver in Feni district in the country’s southeast.
All the victims identified in the incidents were members of the Hindu community, Bangladesh’s largest religious minority, which comprises around 8 percent of the population according to the 2022 national census.
Post Hasina unrest
Bangladesh experienced a wave of communal violence following the ouster of longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 5 August 2024, amid student-led protests that led to her resignation.
Amnesty International reported that, in the immediate aftermath, houses, places of worship, and business establishments belonging to religious minorities were attacked in various parts of the country.
Local media outlets documented widespread vandalism, looting and arson targeting Hindu temples, houses, and businesses. Reports also emerged of beatings, sexual assaults and killings involving members of the Hindu and Christian community, with the BHBCUC warning that many families were left displaced and without livelihoods.
Members of the Ahmadiyya community, a minority sect within Islam, were also subjected to attacks according to rights organisations and media reports.
Community groups including the BHBCUC and the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad (BPUP) recorded at least 205 incidents targeting minority communities across 52 districts in the days following the fall of Hasina’s government. Media reports from August 2024 documented damage to 228 Hindu homes, 240 Hindu-owned businesses, and 15 temples. According to The Daily Star, these figures are most likely an undercount because they reflected only incidents reported to authorities or covered by media.
The BHBCUC said that at least 2,010 incidents of communal violence were reported across the country between August 4 and 20, 2024.
In a public statement, India expressed deep concern for what it describes as the “unremitting hostility against minorities in Bangladesh, including Hindus, Buddhists and Christians at the hands of extremists”.
While the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has described the violence as largely political, the nature of many attacks suggests a more complex picture. Numerous incidents involved the vandalism of Hindu temples, the burning of homes identified by religious symbols, and lynchings following allegations of blasphemy.
The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) noted that religious identity and communal tensions, in addition to political affiliation, have played a role in the violence.
According to the UN report, witnesses to some of the incidents have identified the attackers to be local supporters of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, two major political forces in the country. In one documented case, a victim told investigators that local BNP leaders were among those involved in the attack.
Background and contested histories of the two main political parties
Jamaat-e-Islami (Jamaat) has a long and controversial history marked by religious extremism and political violence. Founded in 1941 in colonial India in Lahore (now in Pakistan), the party was established with the aim of advancing an explicitly Islamic social and political order across the subcontinent.
In Pakistan, Jamaat played a central role in the anti-Ahmadiyya agitation called the Lahore Riots in 1953, which resulted in widespread violence and the deaths of an estimated 2000 people, according to some historians.
Jamaat had opposed the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 and aligned itself with the Pakistani Army, assisting its campaign against the independence movement. Scholars and human rights organisations have documented that Jamaat-linked militias collaborated in widespread abuses during the conflict, including the selective and targeted killing of Bengali Hindus and Bengali intellectuals irrespective of religion. These crimes formed part of a broader campaign of mass violence that many scholars and international observers have described as genocidal in which up to three million people are estimated to have died and millions more displaced or injured.
In Pakistan, Jamaat subsequently supported General Zia Ul Haq’s Islamization programme following the military overthrow of Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1977.
Founded in 1979, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party or BNP identifies itself as a nationalist party rather than an Islamist one. However, critics have long pointed to its alliances with Islamist groups, most notably with Jamaat, which helped mainstream religious discourse in its politics. In 1977, during the presidency of Ziaur Rahman, the Party’s founder, Bangladesh’s constitution was amended to remove “secularism” as a foundational principle of the state.
Reports and judicial probing have linked supporters and leaders of the BNP-led coalition and its Jamaat allies with targeted violence against religious minorities, including killings, rape, arson and looting in the aftermath of the 2001 elections in Bangladesh.
As Bangladesh is preparing for general elections scheduled for February 12, the future of the country’s religious minorities remains uncertain.
The BNP and Jamaat have emerged as two of the principal forces seeking to shape the post-election landscape. For the first time in its history, Jamaat has nominated a candidate from the Hindu community. The BNP, meanwhile, has sought to project a secular-friendly image ahead of the elections. However, the historical record of both parties, and recurring episodes of minority-targeted violence, raises concerns about minority protection in Bangladesh.
Whether a future government led by either formation will demonstrate the political will to ensure minority protection and systemic justice in Bangladesh remains an open question.
Local and international media reports
AP World News, Protestors storm offices of leading Bangladesh dailies after a 2024 uprising activist dies (discusses Sharif Oman Hadi assassination), 19 December 2025. https://apnews.com/article/bangladesh-hasina-yunus-politics-violence-e97700ed1c8adbdf06c16ad734ea4b11
The Daily Star, No evidence found of derogatory remarks by lynched garment factory worker: Rab (report on the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das), 20 December 2025. https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/no-evidence-found-derogatory-remarks-lynched-garment-worker-rab-4062731
The Daily Star, Case filed over killing of Rana Pratap in Jashore (report on the killing of Rana Pratap Bairagi), 6 January 2026. https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/case-filed-over-killing-rana-pratap-jashore-4074921
The Daily Star, Trader dies days after being hacked, set on fire (report on the murder of Khokon Chandra Das), 4 January 2026. https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/trader-dies-days-after-being-hacked-set-fire-4072571
The Times of India, Another Hindu man killed in Bangladesh, 8th casualty since December 18 (report on the murder of Samir Das), 14 January 2026. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/another-hindu-man-killed-in-bangladesh-8th-casualty-since-december-18/articleshow/126515516.cms
NDTV World, Hindu Man Killed in Bangladesh, 2nd Such Incident in 24 Hours, (report on attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh), 6 January 2026. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/hindu-man-killed-in-bangladesh-2nd-such-incident-in-24-hours-10373025
The Times of India, ‘Shot by his colleague’: Another Hindu man killed in Bangladesh; 3rd incident in two weeks, (report on attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh), 30 December 2025. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/shot-by-his-colleague-another-hindu-man-killed-in-bangladesh-3rd-incident-in-two-weeks/articleshow/126252085.cms
The Daily Star, Bring the culprits to book for attacks on minorities (report on attacks on minorities), 11 January 2026. https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bring-the-culprits-book-attacks-minorities-4078036
Reuters, Hindu Homes, Temples Targeted in Bangladesh after Hasina Ouster, Minority Group Says, 6 August 2024. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/hindu-homes-temples-targeted-bangladesh-after-hasina-ouster-minority-group-says-2024-08-06/#:~:text=DHAKA%2C%20Aug%206%20(Reuters),no%20killing%2C%20there%20is%20injury.
Prothomalo, Minorities’ houses, worship places under attack at various places, 7 August 2024. https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/local-news/xdl6ej9e50
The Daily Star, Aftermath of AL govt’s fall: Minorities faced 205 attacks in 52 districts (also refers to destitution of Hindu families after attacks), 10 August 2024. https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/aftermath-al-govts-fall-minorities-faced-205-attacks-52-districts-3673296
The Times of India, India condemns “hostility” against Bangladesh minorities (India’s public statement), 27 December 2025. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-condemns-hostility-against-bangladesh-minorities/articleshow/126198206.cms
The Daily Star, ‘Jamaat to end the cycle of revenge’(background of Jamaat-e-Islami, incl. its role in the 1971 war), 22 October 2024. https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/jamaat-end-cycle-revenge-3733336
The Diplomat, With an Eye on Elections Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami Offers Vague Apology (refers to the party’s role in the Bangladesh 1971 War), 3 November 2025. https://thediplomat.com/2025/11/with-eye-on-elections-bangladeshs-jamaat-e-islami-offers-vague-apology/
Dawn, Special Report: Darkness Descends 1977-1988 (includes description of Zia’s Islamisation), 17 October 2017. https://www.dawn.com/news/1364410
The Daily Star, The depth of 5th amendment (removal of “secularism” in the Constitution), 21 July 2010. https://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-147758
Dhaka Tribune, Who can pull the Islamic parties closer together? (refers to BNP’s alliances with Islamic parties), 5 May 2025. https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/politics/380378/who-can-pull-the-islamic-parties-closer-together?
The Diplomat, The BNP’s Islamist Dilemma (refers to BNP’s alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami), 22 January 2024. https://thediplomat.com/2024/01/the-bnps-islamist-dilemma/
Reuters, How an Islamist Party is gaining ground in Bangladesh worrying moderates (discusses the rise of Jamaat-e-Islami and minorities’ distrust), 21 January 2026. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/how-an-islamist-party-is-gaining-ground-bangladesh-worrying-moderates-2026-01-21/
Prothomalo, Tight race ahead: 4-organisation survey shows BNP-Jamaat contest heating up (indicates that one of the parties may be the winner in the next general elections), 13 January 2026, https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/politics/cks7ensdlc
Times of India, 80 minority candidates in fray in Bangladesh polls (refers to Jamaat-e-Islami’s nomination of one candidate from minority (Hindu) community), 25 January 2026. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/80-minority-candidates-in-fray-in-bangladesh-polls/articleshow/127421647.cms
The Business Standard, Minority leaders decry reports of election-related violence and intimidation by BNP-Jamaat activists, 14 January 2024. Minority leaders decry reports of election-related violence and intimidation by BNP-Jamaat activists | The Business Standard
The Business Standard, Oikya Parishad leaders call BNP-Jamaat attempt to project ‘minorities not secure’ under AL govt ‘hypocritical’, 22 October 2023. Oikya Parishad leaders call BNP-Jamaat attempt to project ‘minorities not secure’ under AL govt ‘hypocritical’ | The Business Standard
International organisations, rights organisations and NGOs
Amnesty International, Bangladesh Human Rights Priorities Ahead of National Elections, January 2026 (Amnesty report calling for protection of human rights and minorities). https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa13/0629/2026/en/
Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC), Bangladesh minority rights group accuses interim government of failing to protect minorities in AP World News (report on persisting communal violence under interim government and the BHBCUC data on communal attacks), January 30, 2025. Bangladesh minority rights group accuses interim government of failing to protect minorities | AP News
Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) in The Economic Times, At least 15 Hindus murdered in 45 days in Bangladesh: Report, January 15, 2026. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/at-least-15-hindus-murdered-in-45-days-in-bangladesh-report/articleshow/126550953.cms?from=mdr
BHBCUC in NDTV World, 51 Attacks on Minorities In Bangladesh In December, Says Unity Council, January 6, 2026. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/51-attacks-on-minorities-in-bangladesh-in-december-says-unity-council-10425139
BHBCUC (Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad statement on communal attacks in January 2026 in The Daily Star, ‘January saw 42 communal attacks’: Says Oikya Parishad, places seven demands, 30 January 2026. https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/politics/news/january-saw-42-communal-attacks-says-oikya-parishad-places-seven-demands-4094116#:~:text=30%20January%202026%2C%2005:25,nationwide%20over%20the%20last%20year.
Human Rights Watch, Bangladesh: Prime Minister Hasina Resigns amid Mass Protests, 6 August 2024. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/08/06/bangladesh-prime-minister-hasina-resigns-amid-mass-protests
Amnesty International, Bangladesh: Interim govt must take immediate actions to protect Hindus and other minority communities, 14 August 2024. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/08/bangladesh-interim-government-must-take-immediate-actions-to-protect-hindu-and-other-minority-communities/
Amnesty International, Bangladesh 2024 (report on the 2024 unrest and attacks on Hindus and Ahmadiyyas (Ahmadis) following Hasina’s exit). https://www.amnesty.org/en/location/asia-and-the-pacific/south-asia/bangladesh/report-bangladesh/
Human Rights Watch, Vandalism, Attacks Follow Bangladesh’s Prime Minister’s Exit: Interim Government Should Protect Minorities, Uphold Human Rights (HRW’s call for minority protection, incl. Hindus, Ahmadiyyas and Christians), 8 August 2024. https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/08/08/vandalism-attacks-follow-bangladesh-prime-ministers-exit
BHBCUC in Dhaka Tribune, 522 communal attacks in 2025, not 71, says minority rights body, (monitoring of incidents and forcible occupation of homes and businesses causing internal displacement of minorities), 29 January 2026. https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/402143/522-communal-attacks-in-2025-not-71-says
BHBCUC in AP World News, Bangladesh Minority Rights Group Accuses Interim Government of Failing to Protect Minorities (monitoring of incidents between August 4 and 20), 30 January 2025. https://apnews.com/article/bangladesh-minority-hindu-attacks-yunus-hasina-india-cdc0996609db39d8c8b6783578ca45a9
BHBCUC and Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad (BPUD) in The Daily Star, Aftermath of AL Govt’s Fall: Minorities Faced 205 attacks in 52 Districts, 9 August 2024. https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/aftermath-al-govts-fall-minorities-faced-205-attacks-52-districts-3673296
Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) in the Daily Star, 541 Killed in Countrywide Violence in August (monitoring of incidents in August, incl. Hindu homes, businesses and temples, attacks on Ahmadiyyas, and statement that the actual figures could be higher), 4 September 2014. https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/541-killed-countrywide-violence-august-3693721
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in The Business Standard, Attacks on Hindu, Ahmadiyya, CHT communities mostly political affiliation, suppression of identities: UN (statement on combination of motives behind attacks and testimony of some attackers identified to be from BNP & Jamaat-e-Islami), 12 February 2025, Attacks on Hindu, Ahmadiyya, CHT communities mostly centred political affiliation, suppression of identities: UN | The Business Standard
Stichting Basug (Bangladesh Support Group), 1971 Genocide in Bangladesh (reports to the UN on the Bangladesh War in 1971 with figures on deaths and displacement), 19 May 2022. https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/50/NGO/26; Genocide Recognition in Bangladesh: A Call for Global Acknowledgement and Practical Measures by the Human Rights Council, 18 March 2024. https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g24/045/83/pdf/g2404583.pdf
Amnesty International, Bangladesh: Briefing to political parties for a human rights agenda (refers to involvement of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami on attacks on minorities in during 2001 elections), October 2006. https://www.amnesty.org/fr/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/asa130122006en.pdf
Other (including government data)
Britannica (information on Jamaat-i-Islami’s history, incl its support for Zia-ul-Haq’s Islamisation campaign), edited on 28 January 2026. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Jamaat-i-Islami
Britannica, Zia-ul-Haq (on Zia-ul-Haq’s Islamisation program). https://www.britannica.com/place/Pakistan/Zia-ul-Haq
European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS) study paper, Jamaat-e-Islami in Bangladesh: Past, Present and Future, March 2017. https://www.efsas.org/publications/study-papers/jamaat-e-islami-in-bangladesh-past,-present-and-future/
Congress Gov, Recognizing the Bangladesh Genocide of 1971, https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-resolution/1430/text
Holocaust Museum Houston, Bangladesh 1971(description of the 1971 genocide), https://hmh.org/education/bangladesh-1971/
2022 census of Bangladesh population by religious breakdown (page viii). https://sid.portal.gov.bd/sites/default/files/files/sid.portal.gov.bd/publications/01ad1ffe_cfef_4811_af97_594b6c64d7c3/PHC_Preliminary_Report_(English)_August_2022.pdf
