522 Communal Attacks, 61 Murders: Minority Body Presents Alarming Statistics In Bangladesh As National Elections Loom

New Delhi: As Bangladesh approaches its 13th National Parliamentary Election, a wave of brutal communal violence against religious minorities, particularly Hindus, has spread fear across the country, raising serious questions on the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government to protect vulnerable communities and uphold basic human rights.

A leading minority rights body reported that the Bangladesh witnessed over 522 communal incidents and 61 murders in the past year (2025).

What the data exposes

A statement issued by the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council documents a severe escalation in communal hostility, recording 522 distinct incidents. The data includes 61 murders and 28 cases of sexual violence, including rape and gang rape. 

The Council also highlighted 95 instances of attacks on religious sites and the desecration of deities, alongside 21 cases of land grabbing. Furthermore, the report chronicles the destruction of 102 minority-owned homes and businesses, as well as 47 incidents involving torture and death threats.

Mob lynching incidents

The Bangladesh Human Rights Commission has validated reports of minority fatalities occurring between June 2025 and January 2026. The commission's findings confirm that these deaths include victims of targeted killings as well as incidents of mob lynching.

According to a UN report, over 650 people were killed during the protests in July-August 2024. This number later rose to 1,500.

The report also highlights a specific, high-profile incident from January 26, 2026, where a violent group of extortionists targeted a bus carrying at least 12 journalists in the Narsingdi district.

Minority voters live in fear

With the 13th National Parliamentary Election just two weeks away, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) stated that a climate of fear and vulnerability continues to overshadow religious and ethnic minority communities.

Minority Association, through the press conference, has also made several demands in view of the general elections of February 2026.

The Council’s primary demand is for the Election Commission to establish a secure environment where minority voters can reach polling stations without fear, thereby exercising their fundamental right to equality. The body further urged a strict ban on any religious or communal rhetoric during election campaigns, calling for decisive action against any leaders, candidates, or parties that exploit these divisions.

Deployment of adequate security forces

To prevent intimidation, the organization urged the Election Commission to deploy adequate security forces, including the army if necessary, and to officially designate minority-populated regions as "risk-prone zones" subject to intensive monitoring.

The Council further advocated for a strict ban on using religious venues for political purposes and called for hate speech, incitement, and the spread of communal rumors to be formally criminalized under specialized legislation.

In a final appeal, the organization urged the Election Commission and relevant authorities to take decisive, visible action to restore the confidence of minority voters and ensure their safety ahead of the upcoming polls.

The Council warned that this persistent insecurity threatens to disenfranchise these groups by deterring them from visiting polling stations to exercise their democratic rights.

"Under these circumstances, if minority voters feel discouraged from casting their ballots, the responsibility cannot be placed on them," the council said in a written statement read out by its acting general secretary, Manindra Kumar Nath.

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