Dhaka’s streets have become a battleground for religious tensions, with a prominent minority rights organization reporting a staggering 522 incidents of communal violence across Bangladesh in 2025. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council dropped this bombshell during a press conference, directly challenging the interim government’s claim of just 71 such events under Muhammad Yunus’s leadership.
Acting General Secretary Monindra Kumar Nath unveiled the council’s annual review, meticulously compiled from national newspapers and media reports spanning January to December. The figures paint a grim picture: 66 lives lost, 28 cases of violence against women including rapes and gang rapes, attacks on 95 religious sites, and assaults on 102 homes and businesses.
The report doesn’t stop there. It documents 38 instances of kidnappings, extortion, and torture; 47 threats of death and physical attacks; 36 arrests and tortures on blasphemy charges; and 66 illegal seizures of land, homes, and enterprises. As Dhaka Tribune highlighted, these numbers underscore a deepening crisis.
With general elections looming on February 12, the council warns of escalating violence even in the pre-poll atmosphere. From January 1 to 27 alone, 42 incidents were logged, including 11 murders, one rape, nine attacks on temples and churches, and 21 cases of looting, arson, and land grabs.
Nath emphasized that minorities yearn to exercise their voting rights but live in fear for their lives, livelihoods, property, and dignity. ‘If minority voters are discouraged, the blame falls on the government, administration, election commission, and political parties,’ he declared.
The council slammed Yunus’s social media post on January 19, which acknowledged 645 minority-related cases but labeled only 71 as communal, dismissing the rest as non-sectarian. Nath accused authorities of a narrow definition: murders, rapes, arsons, land grabs, and targeted attacks aren’t ‘communal’ unless they occur inside temple premises. He called the government’s stance ‘absurd and misleading.’
Further allegations include harassment and criminalization of minority leaders, such as the arrest of prominent Hindu figure Chinmoy Krishna Das and cases against council seniors, forcing many into hiding. Under Yunus’s interim rule, law and order has deteriorated, with violence against minorities surging—a concern echoed by domestic and international human rights bodies.
As Bangladesh hurtles toward elections, the Unity Council’s report serves as a stark reminder that communal harmony remains elusive, demanding urgent intervention to safeguard vulnerable communities.
