Bangladesh faces 2,442 communal violence incidents amid political turmoil

Bangladesh witnessed 2,442 incidents of communal violence over a span of 330 days from August 4 last year, when political unrest peaked, leading to the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government, a minority advocacy group in the country said on Thursday.

"Most of these violent incidents happened between August 4 and August 20 last year," the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council said in a statement released at a press conference at the National Press Club here.

The minority communities faced 2,442 incidents of communal violence over a span of 330 days from August 4, 2024, it said.

The nature of violence ranged from murders and sexual assaults, including gang rapes, to attacks on places of worship, seizing homes and businesses, arrests on charges of alleged defamation of religion, and forced removals of minorities from organisations, the statement said.

Victims included men, women, and adolescents belonging to minority groups.

The perpetrators have largely evaded justice, with the interim government "refusing to acknowledge" the incidents and "dismissing them as politically motivated," the statement said.

A senior Council leader, Narmal Rosario, said the ongoing reform initiatives by the interim government have repeatedly excluded minority communities, "which is the most frustrating factor for us”.

“We want to walk together with all,” he emphasised.

Another leader, Nimchandra Bhoumik, said, "The division (within the society) was not a pleasant matter for anyone.” “The government, in fact, ignores the incidents of repression of minorities. We demand proper justice,” acting general secretary of the council, Manindra Kumar Nath, said.

As per the 2022 census, Hindus are the largest minority community in Bangladesh at 7.95% of the total population, followed by Buddhists (0.61%), Christians (0.30%), and others (0.12%).