In its report on the first 100 days of the Yunus government, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) stated that religious and ethnic minorities, marginalized communities, and those with dissenting opinions have become victims of violence.
Key incidents include:
- Clashes and arson attacks between Bengalis and tribals in Khagrachhari and Rangamati resulted in six deaths and hundreds of injuries.
- The Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikya Parishad (HBCOP) reported 2,010 incidents of communal violence between August 5 and 20, leading to the deaths of nine minority individuals. Prothom Alo reported that 1,068 Hindu establishments were attacked, 560 of which had no links to the Awami League. (Source: Prothom Alo)
- Blasphemy allegation: around hundreds of Hindu homes, businesses looted and vandalized in Dowarabazar, Sunamganj ( Source: The Business Standard and Al Jazeera)
- More than 50 shrines belonging to a Muslim group were attacked and set on fire across the country, resulting in at least one death and 43 injuries.
- Security concerns were raised during Durga Puja celebrations.
Government Response and Investigations
Despite widespread reports, the Yunus government did not acknowledge the incidents of minority repression until December 10—nearly four months after taking office and one day after Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited Dhaka.
At a press conference, Chief Adviser’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam stated that 70 people had been arrested in connection with 88 cases of minority persecution between August 5 and October 22.
On January 11, the Chief Adviser’s press wing cited an analysis by the Police Headquarters, which claimed that 98.4% of the 1,415 attacks and vandalism incidents (as reported by HBCOP) were politically motivated, while only 1.59% were due to communal reasons. Investigations found 1,254 cases to be substantiated, while 161 lacked evidence.
The government has yet to respond to Prothom Alo’s findings, which reported that 560 of the 1,068 attacks had no links to the Awami League.
Investigations by Prothom Alo’s correspondents across 64 districts and 67 upazilas revealed that minority communities were attacked in 49 districts between August 5 and 20. They directly surveyed 546 damaged houses and businesses—51% of all reported damages—while gathering information on the rest from various sources. In some districts, the attacks were extensive, while in others, they were relatively limited.
On August 6, The Daily Star reported that mobs attacked Hindu homes and businesses in at least 27 districts on August 5. (Source: The Daily Star)
Government Narrative and International Criticism
While denying the extent of the violence and neglecting justice in cases it has acknowledged, the interim government and its supporters have focused on countering alleged misinformation campaigns in India.
In a September interview with the Press Trust of India, Yunus acknowledged the attacks but dismissed them as politically motivated. “While beating up Awami League cadres, they also attacked Hindus because of the perception that Hindus in Bangladesh are Awami League supporters,” he said. “I am not saying what happened is right, but some people are using it as an excuse to seize property.”
Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized the government’s response, stating that repeated attacks on Hindus and other minorities had not been effectively addressed by law enforcement. HRW also highlighted:
- Attacks by extremist groups targeting Hindus and Ahmadiyya Muslims.
- Continued discrimination and violence against ethnic minorities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
- The introduction of a new ordinance replacing an Awami League-era law restricting free speech, which still retains many harmful provisions.
- Outbreaks of violence after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, in which mobs targeted perceived Awami League supporters, including religious minorities.
In September, violence erupted in the Chittagong Hill Tracts after Bengali settlers accused Indigenous Jumma people of killing a Bengali. Mobs attacked ethnic minorities and burned their properties. When Jumma youth protested, the military used live ammunition to disperse them, resulting in at least four deaths. International human rights monitors and journalists remain barred from the area.
Even the biased and incomplete report by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) stated:
“Hindus, Ahmadiyya Muslims, and Indigenous people from the Chittagong Hill Tracts were subjected to human rights abuses. While some 100 arrests have reportedly been made in relation to attacks on religious and indigenous groups, many perpetrators still enjoy impunity.”
Concerns from Bangladesh’s Human Rights Commission
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Bangladesh warned:
“Such violations of human rights can tarnish the image of the country. Law enforcement agencies, civil society, and students should play an effective role in maintaining communal harmony.”
