New Delhi’s intelligence circles are buzzing with alarm over a sharp escalation in violence against minorities in Bangladesh, particularly as the country gears up for pivotal elections. What was once sporadic unrest has morphed into a relentless, orchestrated campaign targeting Hindus and other groups, Indian officials describe as unprecedented.
Data from the Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) paints a grim picture: between June 6, 2025, and January 5, 2026, at least 116 minority individuals were brutally killed. This isn’t random chaos—it’s a systematic purge spreading across all eight divisions and 45 districts of the nation.
A senior Intelligence Bureau officer confided that previous flare-ups would subside under government pressure, but this wave shows no signs of abating. ‘The perpetrators seem determined to continue until minorities are eradicated,’ the officer noted, highlighting the shift from isolated incidents to a nationwide strategy.
Intelligence sources point fingers at the post-Sheikh Hasina power vacuum, where Muhammad Yunus’s interim administration has allegedly given free rein to an ISI-Jamaat alliance. With elections looming, extremists are betting on polarizing voters through these attacks to consolidate their hardline base.
The violence carries broader implications, serving as provocation aimed at India. Bangladesh’s minority population has plummeted from 30% in 1946 to just 9% by 2020, underscoring decades of demographic engineering. Officials warn that pre-election tensions could ignite even fiercer assaults, urging vigilant international scrutiny.
As Dhaka downplays these as mere personal disputes, evidence reveals targeted killings. The international community must act swiftly to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in the making.