Leading civil society figures, economists, and human rights activists gathered in Dhaka on Saturday for a high-profile roundtable discussion expressing profound anxiety over escalating violence against religious and ethnic minorities as Bangladesh prepares for the February 2026 national elections.
Organised by the Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikya Parishad (BHBCOP), the event titled “The Current Reality and Expectations of Human Rights of Minorities” at the CIRDAP auditorium called on all political parties to incorporate robust protections for minorities in their election manifestos, warning that failure to ensure security could lead to widespread voter abstention among vulnerable communities.
Participants described a “crumbling” constitutional framework of secularism and equal rights, with ongoing impunity for attackers, shrinking space for freedom of expression, and a perceived capitulation of state institutions to communal forces. The discussion transformed minority human rights into a broader national movement, urging unity across all citizens.
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Key Demands
The roundtable issued a strong appeal to all parties and alliances contesting the 13th parliamentary election to pledge in their manifestos:
– Enactment of a Minority Protection Law
– Establishment of a National Minority Commission and a dedicated Ministry for Minorities
– Proper implementation of the Vested Property Return Act
– Proportional representation in government, parliament, representative bodies, police, and armed forces based on population ratios
– Reservation of 60 parliamentary seats for minorities through direct voting
– Protection of Debottar (religious endowment) properties
– Enactment of an Anti-Discrimination Law
– Full implementation of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord and related laws
Speakers emphasised turning the minority rights struggle into a nationwide citizens’ movement, highlighting threats to Bangladesh’s foundational principles of secularism and pluralism.
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Statistics Paint Grim Picture of Ongoing Violence
Presenting the concept paper, BHBCOP Acting General Secretary Manindra Kumar Nath detailed alarming figures: From August 4 to December 31, 2024, media reports documented 2,184 incidents of violence against religious, ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples. From January 1 to November 30, 2025, there were 489 such incidents, with five murders reported in December alone.
Nath singled out the “barbaric” lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh’s Bhaluka on December 18, where the Hindu youth was accused of blasphemy, brutally beaten by a mob, hanged from a tree, and set on fireโan act that “shocked the global community.” He criticised the interim government’s tendency to dismiss post-August 5 violence as “political,” frustrating minority communities despite partial police acknowledgements.
Nath warned that without security assurances from the government, Election Commission, and political parties, minoritiesโoften targeted for their voting choicesโmay boycott polls en masse.
Speakers Voice Concerns Over Division and Impunity
Pro-Yunus economist Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya described a pervasive insecurity leaving citizens distrustful and disinterested in voting. He condemned violence driven by religious identity, warning that divisive politics would weaken Bangladesh’s development, peace, sovereignty, economy, and global standing.
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“Bangladesh should not view its religious minority citizens through the same political lens as neighbouring India,” he added, expressing curiosity about whether BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman’s security plans would prioritise minority protections.
Transparency International Bangladesh Executive Director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman, who is closely associated with the Yunus regime, linked attacks to political motives like partisanship, land grabbing, and dominance, rather than solely religious identity. He called for a dedicated law and commission to protect religious sites, greater minority integration into mainstream politics through secular alliances, and converting the draft anti-discrimination law into an ordinance.
Bangladesh Mahila Parishad President Fawzia Moslem accused communal forces of replacing fascism with fundamentalism, urging greater involvement of minority women in movements.
ALRD Executive Director Shamsul Huda recounted decades of struggle since the 1960s, renewed in 1971, stressing thorough investigations and justice for all minority atrocities to avoid branding the government as failing on human rights. He called on youth to lead the charge.
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Barrister Sara Hossain, a top supporter of the Yunus-led administration and Awami League critic, decried the silence enabling widespread violations, highlighting demands to declare Ahmadis non-Muslim as “unacceptable” and the lack of legal protection for post-August 5 victims. She condemned Das’s killing as a “blatant human rights violation.”
Gano Forum Acting President Advocate Subrata Chowdhury demanded repeal of all “black laws,” while journalist Abdul Aziz advised minorities to make informed electoral choices amid shifting political culture.
Chaired by BHBCOP President Nirmal Rosario and moderated by Ranjan Karmakar, the roundtable featured contributions from Prof. Dr. Nim Chandra Bhowmik, Advocate Suman, Bhikkhu Sunandapriya, Hemant Ai Koraiya, and other leaders.
In closing, Rosario thanked participants, expressing gratitude for the candid discussions.
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