Human rights organisations in Bangladesh have raised alarm over a sharp rise in attacks on minority communities across the country, documenting over a hundred deaths within a seven-month period and warning that the violence reflects a nationwide pattern rather than isolated incidents.
The Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) said it recorded 116 deaths of minorities between June 6, 2025, and January 5, 2026. According to the organisation, the incidents were reported across all eight administrative divisions and 45 districts of Bangladesh, involving cases of lynching, murder and suspicious deaths.
In a post on social media platform X, the HRCBM stated that the violence demonstrates a systematic pattern of targeting minorities across the country. The rights body asserted that the geographical spread and nature of the incidents point to coordinated and recurring attacks rather than sporadic acts of violence.
Concerns over the deteriorating situation were also echoed earlier this week by the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, a human rights organisation working against religious discrimination. The council expressed grave concern over what it described as an alarming increase in communal violence as Bangladesh moves closer to its national elections scheduled for February.
In a statement, the council highlighted the scale of violence reported in December alone, during which at least 51 incidents targeting minorities were documented. These included 10 murders, 10 cases of theft and robbery, and 23 incidents involving occupation, looting and arson of homes, business establishments, temples and land. The statement also cited four cases of detention and torture based on allegations of religious blasphemy and accusations of links with India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), along with one attempted rape and three incidents of physical assault.
The council noted that the trend of violence, particularly against Hindu minorities, has continued into the first week of January. It detailed multiple incidents reported across different districts during this period.
According to the rights body, on January 2, paddy crops cultivated on 96 decimals of land belonging to a Hindu farmer were set on fire in Ramgati area of Lakshmipur district. The following day, a businessman was reportedly murdered in Shariatpur after being attacked with sharp weapons and set on fire. On the same day, a robbery was reported at a residence in Amuchia Union under Boalkhali Upazila of Chattogram, where family members were allegedly taken hostage during the incident.
Further incidents were reported on January 4, when a gold trader was tied up and approximately 30 bhori, or around 350 grams, of gold ornaments were looted from his shop. On the same day, a 40-year-old Hindu widowed woman was reportedly raped in Kaliganj area of Jhenaidah district, during which she was subjected to severe physical abuse.
Condemning the escalation of communal violence, the rights groups said minority communities across Bangladesh are living in fear and uncertainty. They warned that the continued attacks are deepening insecurity among vulnerable groups and undermining social harmony in the country.
Bangladesh has witnessed increasing reports of violence against minorities, including Hindus, during the tenure of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government. The developments have drawn criticism and concern from several human rights organisations and observers both within Bangladesh and internationally, who have called for urgent measures to ensure the safety and rights of minority communities.
