By AA FAISAL
Following the dramatic political shift in August 2024, Bangladesh witnessed a wave of brutal and premeditated attacks across the country targeting minorities, particularly the Sanatani Hindu population. These acts of violence were primarily orchestrated by groups affiliated with the BNP-Jamaat political alliance, reportedly under the protection and political patronage of an unelected interim regime led by Dr. Muhammad Yunus and his close advisers.
The attacks erupted almost simultaneously in 52 districts across the country. The nature of these incidents showed clear signs of being well-planned and targeted. Based solely on religious identity, Hindu homes, businesses, temples, and land were assaulted. Victims faced murder, rape, looting, arson, and forced religious conversions, heinous crimes that meet the definition of crimes against humanity. The violence was not limited to physical attacks. In many areas, religious festivals such as Durga Puja, Janmashtami, and Kali Puja were disrupted or outright banned under threats and with silent complicity from local authorities.
According to data provided by minority rights organisations, at least 2,010 incidents of persecution were recorded in August alone. Nine people were confirmed killed. 59 temples were attacked or set ablaze. More than 915 homes were vandalised and looted, and over a thousand Hindu-owned businesses were destroyed. These numbers alone paint a grim picture of the scale of the violence.
Dr. Yunus and his advisers’ role in distorting the narrative of these incidents is even more troubling. Rather than addressing the violence as a grave humanitarian crisis, they attempted to reframe it as politically motivated retaliation, thereby misleading both the international community and the general public. Their approach effectively shielded the perpetrators, many of whom were BNP-Jamaat operatives, from legal accountability and obstructed impartial investigations by pressuring the administration.
State-controlled media further aided this effort. While some brave local journalists tried to report the truth, they were met with threats, censorship, and, in some cases, physical intimidation. As a result, many horrific incidents never reached national headlines, and countless victims were left voiceless and unheard.
Analysts argue that this is not merely communal violence, it was a calculated political and religious persecution campaign designed to instil fear, displace minorities, and reestablish a long-standing BNP-Jamaat strategy under the patronage of Dr. Yunusโs interim administration.
To date, not a single perpetrator has been arrested. The attackers continue to roam freely in affected areas, and many victims report receiving threats not to file complaints. There is no justice, no safety, only silence, fear, and helplessness.
Experts describe this not as a state failure but as a state crime. The deliberate suppression of facts, obstruction of investigations, manipulation of media narratives, and political protection of violent actors have created a dangerous culture of impunity.
In light of this situation, the demand for restoring constitutional protections and ensuring the safety of minorities is no longer just a human rights issue; it is now a matter of preserving the very fabric and moral conscience of the nation.
AA Faisal: Writer and activist
English