Christians are under siege as Yunus is harbouring extremists

A documented timeline shows a sharp rise in attacks, threats, bombings, economic targeting, and violence against Christian communities since Muhammad Yunus came to power—yet perpetrators act with impunity, and the state fails to protect its citizens. This is not isolated unrest—it’s a pattern of fear amplified by silence.

As Christmas approached this year, police stood guard outside churches across Bangladesh’s capital, while Christian families shortened celebrations, installed private security cameras, and avoided nighttime services. For many, the precautions reflected a grim new reality: a sharp rise in threats and attacks against Christians since the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus assumed power.

Human rights groups, church leaders, and international monitors say the Christian community—already a tiny minority in a Muslim-majority nation—is facing an unprecedented climate of fear marked by hate speech, bomb attacks, economic intimidation, and what they describe as near-total impunity for perpetrators.

A Surge In Threats

In December 2025, a BBC Bangla investigation documented a wave of threat letters sent to Christian institutions across the country, heightening anxiety ahead of Christmas and national elections scheduled for February. According to the report, at least 21 Christian-affiliated organisations received letters accusing them, without evidence, of forcibly converting Muslims. The threats explicitly named churches, cathedrals, chapels, and missionary-run institutions as targets.

BBC Bangla reported that the senders identified themselves as “Touhidi Muslim Janata,” a radical Islamist group that has gained visibility since last year. Christian leaders noted that many of the targeted institutions had operated for decades without facing such threats before the current political transition.

Church Leaders Raise Alarms

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh publicly warned of escalating danger earlier this month. Archbishop Bejoy N. D’Cruze of Dhaka said the situation posed “grave concern for the Catholic Church,” particularly as the country approaches both major religious celebrations and a national election. The conference issued its statement on December 3, urging authorities to ensure protection and accountability.

A Deadly Christmas Eve

Those fears intensified on December 24, when attackers struck a church compound housing several Christian institutions, including the Church of Bangladesh, the Christian Religious Order Trust, and the Bible Society. Despite a police presence in the area, one person was killed in the attack when unidentified assailants hurled a powerful crude bomb (commonly known as a cocktail) from the Moghbazar flyover onto the road in front of a church below, just hours before Christmas celebrations.

Crude bomb attack that killed 1 aimed at Moghbazar church on Christmas eve

Molotov cocktail attacks heighten fears for Christians in Bangladesh

How Yunus is implementing UN plot to establish a Christian state

The explosion occurred around 7:10pm in front of the Assemblies of God Church, a prominent Christian place of worship on New Eskaton Road.

Nirmal Rozario, president of the Bangladesh Christian Community, said the incident had shaken Christians nationwide. He linked it to a broader pattern of mob violence against minorities, citing the recent lynching and public humiliation of a Hindu boy accused of blasphemy—an episode in which, witnesses said, law enforcement failed to intervene.

Bombings and Unchecked Intimidation

Rights groups say the Christmas Eve attack was part of a wider pattern that has emerged since August 5 last year, when Yunus rose to power amid political upheaval. Since then, crude bomb or cocktail-blast attacks have hit several churches and Christian-run schools in Dhaka and elsewhere. At least seven such explosions have been reported in the past two months alone, according to advocacy organisations.

Authorities have announced investigations, but activists say arrests have been rare or nonexistent. At the same time, minorities are increasingly labelled by hardline groups as supporters of the Awami League, a charge that community leaders say has further exposed them to reprisals.

Economic Pressure And Forced Displacement

Violence has not been limited to physical attacks. In January, a Christian man’s pig farm was destroyed by a mob after a local mosque issued a religious decree banning pig farming. Witnesses said police failed to intervene as the property was vandalised, effectively wiping out the family’s livelihood.

ARSA jihadists terrorise Rohingya Christians under UN watch in Cox’s Bazar

Why Trump should designate terrorist party Jamaat, hold Yunus to account

Rights body GCDG rings alarm bell as extremism resurges under Yunus regime

Open Doors, a global Christian watchdog, reports that targeted violence has forced many Christians into hiding. In an April assessment, the organisation documented at least 36 confirmed attacks on Christians and their property between August and April, with more than 100 families pressured to renounce their faith. It warned that many incidents go unreported due to fear, stigma, and lack of trust in authorities.

Localised Attacks, Limited Response

BBC Bangla also reported continued localised intimidation, including the burning of a Christian-run credit centre in Modonpur, deliberate dumping of garbage outside a Baptist church in a port city, and repeated attempts to seize church land in Gopalganj. In several cases, residents said police declined to intervene despite complaints.

International Concern, Muted Action

On November 16, Pope Francis publicly cited Bangladesh alongside Nigeria as countries where Christians face “ruthless persecution.” Yet beyond expressions of concern, international response has remained limited, according to minority advocates.

For Christian leaders, the silence is deeply troubling. They argue that the Yunus administration’s failure to decisively confront extremist groups—some of which openly promote Sharia law and include previously freed militants—has emboldened attackers and normalised impunity.

As Bangladesh moves toward elections, the country’s Christians say their immediate concern is not politics but survival. “Silence emboldens extremists,” one church leader said. “Accountability is the only thing that protects lives.”