Sudershan Kumar
sudershan.sk12@gmail.com
As the turmoil in Bangladesh escalates, the minority population there, is constantly under threat. The story of Hindus in Bangladesh is intertwined with the subcontinent’s tumultuous history, demographic shifts, nationalist projects, and competing political ideologies. Since the creation of Bangladesh in 1971, the Hindu, minority, once a substantial portion of the population has seen its numbers dwindle due to displacement, violence, discrimination, and emigration. Today, Hindus constitute roughly 7-8% of Bangladesh’s population, down sharply from 22% in 1951. What raises urgent concern in recent years is not only this demographic decline but also reports of systematic and repeated attacks against Hindu communities, including homes, temples and individuals. Ever since the political shift in Bangladesh with mass uprising ousting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024 and an interim installed government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, there have been claims of increasing communal violence often framed as targeting Hindus. If one goes by data available in open literature, there have been 2440 hate crimes between August 2024 to December 2025. These include killings, sexual assaults, arson, and attacks on places of worship etc. The lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu garment worker on 18th December 2025 in Square Masterbari area in Bhakula Mymensingh, Bangladesh by a mob of 140-150 people (as per police report) has really shook the mankind around the globe. In-fact, Dipu Chandra Das, a 27 year old young man was beaten, hanged from a tree and set on fire by mob of 140-150 people after being accused of making derogatory remarks about Islam at a factory event. While nationalist groups in India and elsewhere describe these events as “genocide” or ethnic cleansing but unfortunately global diplomatic response remained muted. Even U.N. Office of High Commissioner for human rights noted that, after ouster of Sheikh Hasina, widespread attacks occurred on Hindu, homes, businesses, and places of worships in multiple districts such as Thakurgaon, Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur, Sylhet, Khulna, and Rangpur. Human rights documentation from 2025 also includes the Gongachora Hindu neighborhood attack, where looting and vandalism targeted Hindu Homes in July 2025. The pattern of attacks against Hindu communities in Bangladesh can broadly be categorized into several overlapping mechanisms
Organized Communal Incitement
i) It is often observed that some violent episodes involve politically organized groups, who capitalized ethnic and religious sentiments during the moments of political instability. Extremist groups like Jammat-e-Islami gained foot hold, post 2024 emboldening sectarian rhetoric and actions.
ii) Impunity and Enforcement Gaps: Human rights observers consistently point to a lack of effective protection or prosecution for perpetrators reinforcing, cycle in which violence can recur with minimal consequences. There have not been sustained effects to deter future violence.
iii). Blasphemy Allegations and Mob Violence: It is worth mentioning here that many attacks are triggered by religious offence or in local disputes, which than spark mob violence. Further the accusations of blasphemy even without substantiated evidence can quickly escalate into a collective punishment, including lynching and arson. Reports from late 2025 indicate at-least 71 blasphemy linked attacks across multiple districts. It will not be out of context to mention here that in response to this crisis, some global actors have expressed condemnation of violent acts and concern for minority rights, but there have been a noticeable disparity in intensity and framing international reactions.
i) Targeted Condemnation by National Governments and Legislators: Individual countries began to respond to specific incidents. For instance, the United Kingdom Government publicly condemned the murders of two Hindu youth in Bangladesh, marking the one of the direct foreign government statements addressing violence. In India, policy makers and Parliamentarians have raised the issue as well, with figures like Shashi Tharoor condemning the lynching of Hindu man and urging strong action. But at the same time the so called pseudo secularists chose to stay mum on the precarious situation in Bangladesh. These pseudo secularists have not uttered a single word on genocide of Hindu communities in Bangladesh. They are pretending as if nothing has happened. It is high time that they should come out of slumberness and raise their voice against heinous crime on Hindu communities in Bangladesh especially after ouster of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024.
ii) Civil Society and Diaspora Advocacy: Various Diaspora groups, NGO’s and human rights advocates have called for broader recognition with some urging the UN and global organizations to formally recognize the situation as ongoing “genocide” against Hindus in Bangladesh. These efforts underscore a call for greater international prioritization of the issue, yet they remain largely advocacy less led rather than official global policy positions. iii) International Institutions Statements on Violence: It is unfortunate that the world body like United Nation has taken somewhat cautious approach: while it reiterated that it stands against racially based attacks and incitement violence, it has refrained from using stronger term “genocide” in official statements, focusing instead on calls to tamp down violence and protect human rights. Meanwhile Human Right office report documented attacks on Hindus in the aftermath of Sheikh Hasina’s fall and highlighted authorities challenges in protecting the vulnerable communities, but stopped of labeling the situation “genocide”. What prompted this world body to do so is not known. The definition of genocide as per 1948 genocide convention is an act committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national ethical, racial or religious group. These acts include killing members, causing serious harm, imposing life conditions to cause destruction, preventing births or forcefully transferring children of this group. It is crime in both peace and war. Therefore it is the responsibility of the Bangladesh interim government, run by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus to take strict action against the perpetrators regardless whether they are private individuals, public, officials or political leaders with sovereign immunity. Hence the question arises, has interim government of Bangladesh failed to take adequate steps to prevent the violence against the Hindu Communities. The answer of this lies either on those, who are at the helm of affairs in Bangladesh or on the world body, which once again has disappointed the global community through its inaction against those, who are directly responsible for heinous crimes against the Hindu communities in Bangladesh. It is also essential to mention here that that India, being the largest Peninsula in south Asia, shares nearly 4085 km long land border with Bangladesh. Therefore the major catastrophes in Bangladesh would have spill over effects in India. This will lead to several inter connected challenges linked to how situation evolve in Bangladesh.
i) Refugee and Migration Pressures: The continued violence could prompt another wave of refugee seeking safety across the India Bangladesh border. This will strain resources and complicate domestic politics.
ii) Diplomatic Balancing: India must balance friendship with Bangladesh and its constitution, commitment to protect religious freedom while avoiding escalatory rhetoric that may harm bilateral relation. iii) Regional Stability: The large scale unrest in Bangladesh has potential spill over effects varying from insurgency to economic disruptions. This will certainly impact the regional stability. Hence the way forward is to look for durable solution through multilayered engagement:
1) Strengthening the Rule of Law: International human right organizations and watch dog should be allowed independent monitoring of the precarious situation in Bangladesh. Bangladesh must ensure timely and impartial investigation and persecution of hate crimes:
2) Civil Society and Interfaith Initiatives: Grassroots peace building and interfaith dialogues can reduce the communal tension. and promote co-existence. Local leadership from within Bangladesh including minority voices should be amplified in policy discussions;
3) Diplomatic Engagement and Conditional Cooperation: India and other partners can insist on human right bench mark tied to economic or development cooperation. Further regional forums could be leveraged for minority protection standards:
4) Addressing Misinformation and Media Responsibility: Governments and Civil Society must work to reduce misinformation and build trustworthy reporting mechanism to validate incidents and prevent inflammatory rumour. The author is of the opinion that the plight of Hindus in Bangladesh, as reported by various groups reflects deeper challenges related to communalism, state capacity, and political stability in South Asia. Whether, characterized as genocide, systematic discrimination or targeted violence, the real concern is about the systematic discrimination, targeted violence including lynching by mob, the minority communities need effective protection and justice. Global apathy, rooted in geopolitical prudence, legal standards, and calls for action un answered yet constructive engagement, principled diplomacy and empowered civil society offers a path forward one, where human rights are upheld without destabilizing the regional voice.
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