New Delhi: Ever since the ouster of former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina from power on August 5 2024, India’s eastern neighbour has witnessed a huge spike in communal attacks, with minorities, specifically Hindus. Reports from Bangladesh Hindu Buddha Christian Unity Council highlight a troubling spike in attacks against minorities. According to them, 1,769 incidents of communal violence, vandalism, and looting have occurred since August, targeting minority communities’ lives, properties, and places of worship.
The Council said these attacks included 2,010 incidents on the lives, properties, and places of worship of the minority community.
These attacks, coupled with increasing reports of Islamist extremist activity, paint a grim picture of growing intolerance in the country and the rise of religious fundamentalists.
However, the Bangladesh government is downplaying these attacks as politically motivated and claiming that the minorities are safe in the country. However, faced with overwhelming evidence to the contrary, questions are being raised on the credibility of the official version.
According to the Chief Adviser of Muhammad Yunus’ office, Bangladesh police have collected the list of allegations prepared by the Unity Council. “Police have communicated with the persons and authorities claimed to have been the targets of the violence. The police have also visited all and every place, establishment, and person mentioned in the report of the Council.”
Police findings say that most of the violence was politically motivated rather than communal in nature, pointing towards propaganda and promotion of a fake narrative.
Out of the 1,769 incidents, investigations revealed 1,234 incidents to be political, while 20 were confirmed as communal attacks. A significant portion—161 claims—was found to be baseless or untrue, said the Chief Advisor’s office. So far, 62 cases have been registered based on these claims, resulting in the arrest of 35 individuals, it added.
“According to the claims of the Council, 1,452 incidents—or 82.8 percent of total claims—took place on August 5, 2024, when Hasina was ousted from power. At least 65 incidents took place on August 4 and 70 incidents on August 6, according to the Council—a copy of which has been obtained by police”, the Chief Adviser’s office said.
Similarly, apart from the Council claims, police have also received 134 allegations of communal violence from August 5 through January 8, 2025.
“Police responded to all those complaints with utmost importance. At least 53 cases have been filed over those complaints. A total of 65 offenders have been arrested in these cases”, it said.
Police have registered a total of 115 cases related to communal attacks since August 4, with 100 suspects arrested to date.
Minorities in Bangladesh say that all these statistics are fake.