Violence against religious and ethnic minorities in Bangladesh has sharply escalated following the country's February 2025 elections, with rights organisations documenting over 505 incidents across 62 districts between January and April, according to reports by the Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM). The pattern of attacks — spanning physical assaults, temple vandalism, sexual violence, and land grabbing — has drawn condemnation from international human rights bodies.

Scale of the Violence

The Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) documented 505 incidents spanning all eight divisions of Bangladesh. These included killings and suspicious deaths, physical assaults, kidnappings, sexual violence, attacks on temples and religious institutions, land grabbing, arson, looting, intimidation, and blasphemy-related persecution.

Notably, 95 incidents of temple attacks and religious vandalism were recorded across 43 districts, while 28 incidents of sexual violence — including rape and gang rape — were documented across 23 districts. Six blasphemy-related incidents were also reported across six districts, according to the rights body.

Post-Election Context

Bangladesh held its first elections after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who had maintained a zero-tolerance stance toward Islamism. Since her removal from power, both Christians and Hindus have reported a marked increase in attacks — particularly targeting those who have converted from Islam, according to a report in Christian Today.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won the elections, but Jamaat-e-Islami still secured just under a third of the vote. Community leaders have reported that violence has been especially concentrated in areas where Jamaat-e-Islami holds significant influence. Since the February election, more than 50 incidents have been reported, according to Open Doors UK and Ireland, which monitors persecution of Christians globally.

Among the documented attacks, a Catholic priest was robbed of his passport and the equivalent of approximately £1,000 and assaulted at St. Eugene de Mazenod in Dhaka.

International Condemnation

Justice Makers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) on Monday strongly condemned what it described as an 'alarming and systematic wave of violence' against minority communities. Shahanur Islam, JMBF founder and President, said: 'These widespread and coordinated violations reflect a dangerous climate of intolerance, discrimination, and institutional failure that threatens the fundamental principles of human rights, equality, secularism, and the rule of law in Bangladesh. The situation is deteriorating day by day, and unfortunately, the current BNP-led government has failed to take effective measures to prevent violence and ensure protection for religious and ethnic minority communities.'

Demands and Recommendations

In March, Hindu and Christian leaders held a protest in Dhaka, calling on the BNP government to guarantee minority protections. The JMBF has called on the Bangladesh government to immediately establish an independent judicial commission to investigate all reported incidents. It has also urged the enactment of a Minority Protection Act and the creation of an independent Minority Commission to safeguard the rights and dignity of all religious and ethnic minorities.

The rights body further appealed for accountability for perpetrators regardless of political affiliation, and for urgent protection, compensation, and rehabilitation for victims and affected communities. With no independent commission yet constituted, observers warn the situation could worsen ahead of any political realignment.