Hindus and other minorities endure severe Islamic persecution in Bangladesh.

Hindu persecution is increasing in ‘Islamic’ Bangladesh. 52 minorities killed in sectarian violence in one year.

Upendra Bharti | HENB | New Delhi | July 14, 2024: The Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council reports an alarming surge in Hindu persecution, with 1,045 cases of torture and violence recorded across 27 districts between July 2023 and June 2024. The council’s report, presented by General Secretary Rana Dasgupta at the National Press Club in Dhaka on July 8, details a disturbing trend of attacks on religious minorities, particularly Hindus.

The report alleges:

– 52 murders, with 7 bodies recovered
– 25 cases of rape and gang rape
– 117 temple attacks, with 40 idols vandalized
– 301 homes and businesses attacked and looted
– 102 incidents of violence, vandalism, and arson targeting minority communities
– 47 cases of land and property encroachment
– 45 cases of eviction and threats
– 11 cases of forced conversion and threats to leave the country
– 15 incidents of encroachment on Hindu devottar properties
– 7 incidents of crematorium encroachment

The council claims that these incidents are just a small part of a larger pattern of communal violence and jihadi proliferation in Bangladesh. Despite efforts to address the issue, the report suggests that little has changed, with minority communities continuing to face violence, intimidation, and forced conversion. The council urges the government to take action to protect religious minorities and ensure their safety and security.

The Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council also asserts that these incidents represent only a fraction of the larger communal landscape, which is increasingly threatened by the spread of jihadism in Bangladesh. A review of communal violence in previous years reveals a disturbing lack of progress, with little change in the frequency and severity of such incidents. Notably, the minority population in Bangladesh has significantly dwindled from 19% in 1970 to a mere 8.6% currently. Furthermore, the report reveals  the ongoing peril faced by Hindu-Buddhist-Christian religious minorities in the country.

However, it is appalling that prominent human rights organizations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and UN Human Rights have failed to acknowledge and address the escalating human rights violations suffered by Hindu minorities and others in Bangladesh. Moreover, even neighboring India, governed by the so-called ‘Hindu nationalist’ Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has shown a striking indifference to the plight of persecuted Hindus in both Bangladesh and Pakistan.
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__Inputs from Agencies.