Blasphemy as a Weapon: Over 78 Attacks Expose Systematic Targeting Bangladesh Hindus.

Report Highlights Surge in Blasphemy-Linked Violence Against Minority Hindus in Bangladesh in Last Six Months.

Upananda Brahmachari | HENB | New Delhi | Dec 27, 2025:: A newly released report by the Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) has documented at least 78 incidents of violence, intimidation, and legal action linked to blasphemy allegations against Hindu minorities across Bangladesh over a six-month period between June and December 2025.

Describing it as a “License to Kill”, HRCBM reported the ordeal of mob lynching and burning as communal execution and the erasure of minorities in Bangladesh.

The findings have intensified regional and international concern, including in India, over what observers describe as a persistent and systemic pattern of hostility towards religious minorities in the country.

The report also draws attention to the recent mob lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, which has further heightened concerns about the misuse of blasphemy narratives. According to rights groups, the killing occurred in the absence of any credible or substantiated blasphemy allegations, underscoring how rumours and unverified claims can rapidly escalate into lethal violence against minority individuals. Observers noted that no formal complaint or legally sustainable evidence of blasphemy had been established prior to the attack, raising serious questions about mob vigilantism, failures in preventive policing, and the growing tendency to target Hindu individuals without due process. The incident has been cited as a stark example of how mere suspicion or communal hostility, rather than proven wrongdoing, is increasingly sufficient to trigger fatal violence against minorities in Bangladesh.

Incidents Spread Across the Country

According to the report, the documented cases span more than 30 districts, cutting across northern, central, and coastal regions. Areas cited include Rangpur, Chandpur, Chattogram, Dinajpur, Lalmonirhat, Sunamganj, Khulna, Cumilla, Gazipur, Tangail, and Sylhet, among others.

Rights organisations contributing to the report noted that the wide geographic distribution and repeated nature of the incidents suggest a broader structural vulnerability for minority communities, rather than sporadic or localised unrest.

From Allegations to Collective Punishment

HRCBM found that blasphemy accusations frequently escalated beyond the individuals involved, often triggering police intervention, public outrage, and mob attacks that engulfed entire Hindu neighbourhoods.

In several cases, arrests were followed by vandalism, forced displacement, or intimidation of local residents. One such incident occurred on July 27, 2025, in Betgari Union of Rangpur, where the detention of a 17-year-old boy was followed by the destruction of at least 22 Hindu homes.

Earlier, on June 19, a 22-year-old man in Barisal was taken into custody over alleged remarks deemed offensive, while similar allegations days later led to unrest in Chandpur.

Nature of the Recorded Abuses

The report categorises the 71 incidents as involving a combination of:

• Police arrests and First Information Reports (FIRs)
• Mob violence and public assaults
• Destruction of homes and places of worship
• Forced expulsions and academic suspensions
• Deaths linked to mob attacks

More than 90 per cent of those accused or affected were Hindus, including minors aged between 15 and 17, highlighting the disproportionate impact on the community.

Social Media as a Flashpoint

A significant number of accusations, the report found, originated from social media activity, particularly on Facebook. In multiple cases, the allegedly offensive posts were disputed, traced to hacked accounts, or could not be conclusively verified through digital forensics.

Despite this, arrests were often carried out swiftly, reportedly under public or political pressure and sometimes before preliminary investigations were completed. Several cases were filed under Bangladesh’s Cyber Security Act, with students and young people among the most affected.

Educational institutions emerged as key flashpoints, with universities and colleges suspending or expelling students following accusations, often alongside police remand.

Deadly Consequences and Accountability Concerns

The report also documents multiple fatalities linked to blasphemy-related violence. One of the most alarming incidents occurred on December 18, 2025, when a 30-year-old Hindu man in Mymensingh was killed by a mob following allegations of blasphemy.

Another case involved the death of a minor in Khulna, allegedly attacked in circumstances where security personnel were present, raising serious questions about law enforcement response and accountability.

Notably, HRCBM observed that violence in several cases continued even after police custody had been established, underscoring concerns about the adequacy of state protection for vulnerable communities.

Pattern of Targeted Intimidation

Human rights observers quoted in the report described a recurring sequence: online accusation, rapid arrest, public mobilisation, and attacks on Hindu localities. This pattern, they warned, indicates that blasphemy allegations are increasingly being used as a tool for intimidation and persecution.

The report emphasised that minors and economically disadvantaged individuals were particularly exposed, lacking the resources or protection needed to challenge accusations or seek redress.

Without stronger safeguards, legal reforms, and accountability mechanisms, the report warned, such allegations are likely to continue placing minority communities at grave risk.

India Voices Concern

The findings echo recent statements by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which has publicly expressed concern over violence targeting minorities in Bangladesh. The MEA has condemned recent lynchings of Hindu individuals and called for those responsible to be held accountable.

Indian officials have stated that thousands of incidents involving violence against minorities have been reported during the tenure of Bangladesh’s interim administration under Muhammad Yunus, adding to diplomatic and human rights scrutiny of the situation.

Blasphemy Fire in Bangladesh

Hindus are put in a hell of blasphemy fire in Bangladesh, where they are being burned alive, according to the dictum of the Quran.

“Indeed, those who disbelieve in Our verses—We will drive them into a Fire. Every time their skins are roasted through, We will replace them with other skins so they may taste the punishment. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted in Might and Wise”. (Quran. 4:56)
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_Agency Inputs.

Courtesy: HRCBM.