Dhaka/New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS) The killing of Hindu minorities across Bangladesh is part of a long, painful history shaped by political unrest, shifting alliances and the fragile promise of minority protection, a report has detailed. It added that understanding the present crisis necessitates examining the history of displacement, the current geopolitical realignment and the lawful, non-violent strategies to defend human rights ahead of the February polls in the country.
“When 32‑year‑old factory worker Dipu Chandra Das stepped out of his home in Mymensingh on December 18, 2025, he had no reason to believe he would never return. Hours later, he was dead; lynched by a mob in an attack that stunned his community but surprised few who had watched Bangladesh’s political crisis deepen. Over the next 18 days, five more Hindu men across five districts were murdered in separate incidents, each killing adding to a growing sense of dread,” a report in ‘Organiser Weekly’ detailed.
According to the report, the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024, following student-led protests, created a political vacuum. This led Muhammad Yunus to take over as head of an interim government of the South Asian nation, promising reforms and elections, but violence escalated instead.
“Human‑rights groups documented thousands of attacks on Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Ahmadiyya and other indigenous communities. The six recent Hindu killings; from Mymensingh to Narsingdi; reflect a broader collapse of law and order. Analysts point to political retribution, land disputes and emboldened extremist groups,” it mentioned.
The report stressed that as Bangladesh heads towards the February 12 polls, the sidelining of the Awami League has allowed the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and radical Islamist groups gain a foothold. It further stated that Hindus, long viewed as Awami League supporters, are now strategic targets.
“The December 2025 assassination of candidate Sharif Osman Hadi triggered retaliatory mob violence, including the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das. Subsequent killings of businessmen Khokon Chandra Das and Rana Pratap underscore the growing insecurity,” the report noted.
With Hindus comprising less than eight per cent of Bangladesh’s population, the report said their vulnerability is particularly severe.
“NGOs continue to document land grabs, temple vandalism and targeted attacks. Official narratives often downplay incidents as ‘non‑communal disputes,’ but community members describe a daily reality shaped by fear and uncertainty,” it stressed.
The report highlighted that the surge in violence since 2024 across Bangladesh is more than a chapter of domestic unrest–it carries implications for the entire region.
“Safeguarding Hindu communities has become a measure of Bangladesh’s democratic resolve, India’s strategic steadiness and South Asia’s commitment to pluralism. If this moment is mishandled, the fallout could reverberate across borders and even alter them,” it emphasised.
–IANS
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