Rights report says violence against Hindus ‘planned’ to rise ahead of polls in Bangladesh
By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – The human rights reports on Thursday claimed that the targeting of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh is not new, and the recent killings of Hindus are part of a well-planned conspiracy ahead of polls.
The rights group and the intelligence agencies have warned that the violence against minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh is likely to rise ahead of the general elections scheduled to be held next month.
According to a report by a news agency, the targeting of the minorities would only go up in the run-up to the polls.
“Many parties like the Jamaat and those who back it are hoping that their radical vote base would consolidate further if the minorities are targeted,” the report claimed.
It cited the Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM), the report claimed that at least 116 members of minority communities have been killed between June 6, 2025, and January 5, 2026.
The report claimed that the targeting of minorities in Bangladesh is not new, and the recent killings of Hindus are part of a well-planned conspiracy ahead of polls.
Some 8 Hindus have been killed in Bangladesh in less than a month.
The rights group noted that the most recent was the murder of Samir Das, an auto driver, who was beaten to death in Daganbhuiyan in Feni district on Sunday.
Samir Das’s family claimed that he was beaten to death, even though police claimed it was a “natural death”.
It started with the brutal murder of Deepu Chandra Das, who was lynched to death, and his body was hung from a tree and set on fire last month.
The incident sparked massive outrage in India, with the Opposition Congress demanding that the government raise the issue with Bangladeshi authorities.
New Delhi had raised its concerns over the targeting of Hindus and demanded firm action from Dhaka.
Bangladeshi interim government dismissed India’s concerns, called them “exaggerated” and “motivated narratives.”
Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry in a statement said, “The Government of Bangladesh categorically rejects any inaccurate, exaggerated, or motivated narratives that misrepresent Bangladesh’s longstanding tradition of communal harmony.”
The Ministry alleged “systematic attempts” to portray isolated criminal incidents as persecution of Hindus.
