Bangladesh minority group expresses concerns over rise in communal violence

Dhaka [Bangladesh], April 9 (ANI): The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) on Thursday raised alarm over a surge in communal violence across the country before and after the 13th parliamentary election that took place in February.

In a press release issued by the Acting General Secretary of BHBCUC, Monindra Kumar Nath, the Council stated that 133 incidents of communal violence were reported between January 1 and March 31, 2026.

These included 25 murders, four cases of violence against women, 35 attacks and looting of temples, and 69 other assaults, including attacks on indigenous communities.

Month-wise figures reveal that January recorded 46 incidents, including 11 murders, one rape case, and multiple cases of assault, vandalism, threats, and looting.

February saw 50 incidents, with eight murders, one rape case, and attacks on temples and minority communities, while March reported 37 incidents, including six murders, two cases of sexual violence, and continued assaults on homes, businesses, and religious sites.

The Council expressed disappointment that violence had not decreased following the formation of a new government led by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). It warned that continued attacks are leaving minority communities "deeply concerned and anxious."

The organisation demanded immediate arrest and exemplary punishment for perpetrators, compensation for victims, proper medical care for the injured, and implementation of its eight-point demand, which includes the enactment of a Minority Protection Act, establishment of a Ministry for Minority Affairs, and formation of a National Minority Commission.

In January, UK MP Bob Blackman raised concerns about Bangladesh and the murder of Hindus there, calling on the government to take appropriate action to protect the minorities and ensure free and fair elections.

"Now, at the pre-recess adjournment debates, I raised the situation of Bangladesh, and the leader quite rightly wrote to the Foreign Secretary about the disastrous situation that is there now. Hindu men are being murdered on the streets, their houses being burnt, the temples are being burnt, and other religious minorities are suffering similar fates," he said. (ANI)

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