After overthrowing the democratically elected Sheikh Hasina Government of the Awami League on 5 August 2024 by forcing her to resign and take shelter in the neighbouring India, the Bangladesh is once again undergone a critical phase of turmoil and anarchy caused by the radical Islamists and students ideologically close to the Bangladesh National Party (BNP), Jamaat-e-Islami, and such other organizations. Some of the Western governments, particularly the US, and their media, have touted these developments as a revolution in the Bangladesh to overthrow an autocratic and corrupt regime as the narrative apparently suits their interests. Although Muhammad Yunus, a pro West Bangladeshi businessman, activist and amateur politician has been nominated as the Chief of the Interim Government of Bangladesh but the way fundamentalist elements are occupying various positions of power and acting with the endorsement by the former, it is clear that Chief Adviser Yunus practically has no effective control over the current situation in the country. Persecution and harassment of the minorities, mainly Bengali Hindus, in Bangladesh is not a new phenomenon but it has phenomenally spread and escalated in the country with Sheikh Hasina’s departure.
The way reports of a large scale vandalism, loot, arson, murder and rape incidents targeting the minority communities, mainly Hindus, have poured in from various parts of the Bangladesh since early August 2024 with disturbing visuals (images and videos) circulating across the electronic, print and social media, it clearly indicates the dismal working with inept handling, at times with biased approach, by the Bangladesh police and military poorly reflecting on the performance of the Interim Government. On his part, Mr Muhammad Yunus, after joining the government, has personally apologised to the minorities for the wrongs done to him; but his series of decisions like lifting ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, releasing convicted militants/wrongdoers from jail, making controversial appointments in high offices, and now imposing religious ban on Hindus pious activities during the Namaz, azaan, etc. altogether tell a different tale, that clearly reflect what way the Bangladesh is going now. As already mentioned, the persecution and violence against minorities has been a recurring feature in Bangladesh, but the current developments are certainly a bad omen positing existential threat to the leftover Hindus and other minorities.
Persecution Post-formation of Bangladesh
If we look at the history of the Indian sub-continent, it speaks of a volume about the persecution of the people belonging to the Indian religions viz. Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, more particularly the Hindus, at the hands of Islamic invaders, radicals and hardcore Islamists for almost a millennium now. The term Indian sub-continent and South Asia are so often used interchangeably to denote the physiographical region of the Southern Asia. Although some scholars exclude Afghanistan but the ancient history of this northwestern region suggests that Afghanistan was also essentially a part of the Hindu civilization with the earliest recorded Gandhara dynasty reigning it for almost one thousand years since 1500 BCE reflecting essential features of the Hindu culture and religion, later succeeded by the Kamboja and Mauryan Empires with intervening invasion and dominance by the Achaemenid Empire and Indo-Greek kingdoms. Being northwest frontier part of the Indian sub-continent, it bore the maximum brunt of Islamic and other invaders over the centuries. It’s constant oppression and persecution by the Islamic rulers over centuries wiped-out almost entire population of Hindus and other Indian religions in the modern age Afghanistan.
In August 1947, the country was divided by the British rulers for the sake of providing a separate homeland for the Indian Muslims in the name of Pakistan, thanks to the sustained obstinate and violent antics and overtures of the Indian Muslim League and wavering attitude of the leaders of Indian National Congress, the ultimate inheritor of the British legacy in the independent India. Owing to the large-scale communal riots triggered by the radical elements, a mass exodus of population took over on either side across the border in the midst of large-scale killings, arson, loot and rape by the radicalised perpetrators. Following the partition, the actual data in respect of the minorities, Hindus and Sikhs in Pakistan (erstwhile West Pakistan) have been fuzzed and often falsified and the minorities population has decreased to bare minimum (Hindus less than 2% now) owing to constant persecution, forced conversion, abduction, and marriage of Hindu women with Muslim men. On the other hand, a fairly more reliable census data in Bangladesh (East Pakistan till 1971) suggests that the Hindu population has declined to less than 8% as of 2022 compared to about 22% in 1951 (over 23% at the time of partition in 1947).
In the above context, those who opine and argue that persecution of Hindus is a myth or grossly exaggerated account must also aptly explain as to why and how three fairly large Islamic nations viz. Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh were created over a period of time carving out from the erstwhile Brihattar Bharat (Greater India). Even some Western scholars and analysts reckon the systematic and organized violence against Hindus carried out by the Pakistan army, and jihadi groups like the Jamaat-e-Islami and others in the year 1971 in Bangladesh as the genocide, which led to about one crore refugees, mostly Hindus, crossing borders to enter the Indian territory to escape persecution. The first two decades after the creation of Bangladesh present several gory events and ignominious history including assassination of Sheikh Mujibur and continuous events of violence, bloodshed and persecution of minorities, mainly Hindus. The Bangladesh author and secular humanist Taslima Nasreen who mustered courage to write about the misogyny, anti-Hindu riots and plight of some Hindu families in a novel (Lajja, 1993) had to leave her country and is living in exile since 1994, with multiple fatwas issued calling for her death. In the current piece, this author will briefly illustrate a few more notorious events of the organized violence in Bangladesh against Hindus post-1971 Bangladesh. (erstwhile East Pakistan).
An Arabic pejorative term ‘Malaun’, meaning detestable/doomed, is very often used for the Bengali Hindus in Bangladesh by the staunch and radicalised Bengali Muslims. According to numerous reports and illustrations, the Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh have been constantly and systematically persecuted for long with occasional pogrom such as the Bangladesh genocide during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, perpetrated by the Pakistan Armed Forces and Razakars, and many recurring riots and massacres thereafter. According to various accounts and estimates, they killed between three to thirty lakh Bengalis and raped between two to four lakh women, mostly Hindus, in a well-organized campaign of mass murders and genocidal sexual violence during the Bangladesh Liberation War. The Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists later concluded in their investigation that Pakistan’s campaign was a deliberate attempt to exterminate or forcibly remove a significant portion of the country’s Hindu populace. The organizations listed as active perpetrators of genocide, ethnic cleansing, and rape & violence against women and children included the Pakistan Military, and associated cadres of the Jamaat-e-Islami, Al Badr, Al Sham, Muslim League, Razakars, and so on.
(a) Bangladesh Riots 1989
These riots were actually a series of organized attack and violence against the Bengali Hindus during October-November 1989, arguably with reference to certain developments at Ayodhya in the neighbouring India. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi government had allowed the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) to carry out Shilanyas for the Ram temple near the disputed site of the Babri Mosque on 9 November 1989 and some analysts link these riots as reaction to the Ayodhya developments although such attacks had been reported prior to that event. For illustration, due to certain sporadic violent events, in spite of the curfew, bigot and agitated crowed in Chittagong looted and put hundreds of Hindu shops on fire on 30 October 1989, besides attacking men and molesting women. This arson, violence and attack on Hindus by the indoctrinated and frenzied mobs soon spread over the larger areas of Bangladesh.
Actually, the then President Hussain Muhammad Ershad had amended the Constitution of Bangladesh declaring Islam as the state religion of in 1988, which gave boost to the Islamists and 1989 riots following the news of Shilanyas at Ayodhya were a consequential fall out. In the ensuing pogrom, thousands of Hindu homes, businesses and temples were destroyed, with an unspecified number of deaths and sexual violence against women. According to a report, as many as over four hundred Hindu temples we desecrated and destroyed by the frenzied and rampaging mobs. Some well recorded instances of riot are mentioned here. In Khulna, a mob of radicalized Muslims took out a procession on 10 November shouting anti-Hindu slogans only to turn violent later on attacking and destroying temples and business establishments. Then in several instances from 11 to 18 November 1989, frenzied and violent mobs attacked on people, their homes, shops, business establishments and places of worship (temples) in Khulna, Narsingdi, Comilla, Barisal, and other places, leading to numerous deaths and injuries, and loss of property. These attacks involved the use fire arms, knives, brick bats and hurling of stones.
(b) Anti-Hindu Violence in 1990
The aforesaid anti-Hindu violence is also said to have link with the Babri mosque dispute in Ayodhya. The radicalized Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh funded newspaper The Daily Inqilab published a fake news about the destruction of the Babri mosque on 29 October 1990 inciting the sentiments of common Muslims. This led to a series of systematic and organized widespread attacks against the Hindus in Bangladesh from 30 October to early November 1990. More than a dozen cities and villages including Dhaka, Chittagong, Jessore, Narail, Gaibandha, Mymensingh, Sunamganj and Sylhet were badly affected, with the first two reporting arson and violence at the greater scale. In Dhaka, the Muslim mobs put several temples, shops and houses on fire in several localities leading to deaths, injuries and loss of properties. Many temples were attacked, vandalized, looted, idol broken before setting them on fire, besides stopping police in their rescue efforts. Chittagong, the second largest city of Bangladesh, was the second worst affected place with more or less similar nemesis. In one case in Chittagong, about two thousand strong radicalized people armed with knives and iron rods rampaged through the residential area of Hindus around the Kaibalyadham temple and set on fire to over three hundred Hindu houses, obstructing fire fighters to enter the area. This incident alone led to several deaths, injuries and loss of property of the minority community.
(c) Anti-Hindu Violence in 1992
Following the demolition of the long disputed Babri mosque structure by Karsewaks gathered at Ayodhya on 6 December 1992, apart from the communal disturbances in parts of India, the Hindus in the neighbouring countries of Pakistan and Bangladesh too had to face serious a backlash in which dozens of temples were desecrated and destroyed, besides severe loss of lives and property. In Bangladesh, such incidents had started on 7 December 1992 at a grave scale and, subsequently, sporadic vandalism and violence continued till March 1993. In Dhaka alone on 7th December, the famous Dhakeshwari temple was attacked and burnt, the Bholanath Giri Ashram was attacked and looted, many jewellery shops owned by Hindus were vandalized and looted, and a large number of Hindu houses were put on fire in different localities, resulting in an unspecified number of deaths and injuries of people. The arson and violence by the riotous mobs remained largely unchecked on the following day in Dhaka, during which about two dozen temples were either completely burnt or largely damaged.
Hindus in Dhaka and other places were attacked leading to several deaths and injuries, and their houses were looted and burnt in large numbers. In Chittagong too, similar large-scale incidents were reported with temples burnt or damaged, homes and shops of Hindus looted and torched, and two villages namely Fatikchari and Mireswari were completely burnt. When these riots occurred, the SAARC Quadrangular cricket tournament was under progress in Bangladesh, which too was badly affected. On 7 December 1992, a huge crowd comprising of over five thousand Muslims armed with iron rods and bamboo sticks tried to storm the Dhaka National Stadium with a view to disrupting the match between India and Bangladesh. The police tried but could not control the unruly mob and the match had to be abandoned only after a few overs. The subsequent rescheduled match on 10 December as also the final match between India and Pakistan on 11 December had to be cancelled. The sporadic incidents of loot, arson and violence against the minority Hindu community continued till March 1993 leading to the destruction of temples, houses and shops, and death of people. Although official figure of the reported deaths was only 10 but unofficial figures from the different sources remained rather high.
(d) Post-election Violence in Bangladesh in 2001
Among the three major political parties and many other small parties in Bangladesh, only the Awami League is known for its rather secular credentials and the minority Hindus are known to be traditional supporters of this party. During the 2001 Bangladesh general elections, the then ruling Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina Begum was defeated by the main opposition the Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by Begum Khalida Zia. The success of the BNP in elections also triggered a series of violent incidents against the minority Hindu community in several parts of the country. The main affected areas were in the South-western Bangladesh with large Hindu population and the badly affected districts included Bagerhat, Barisal, Bhola, Bogra, Brahmanbaria, Chittagong, Feni, Gazipur, Jhenaidah, Jessore, Khulna, Kushtia, Munshigani, Natore, Narayanganj, Narsingdi, Pirojpur, Sirajganj, Satkhira, and Tangail. According to many experts and analysts, the communal attacks were systematic and well organized with an apparent motive to destroy the economic resources of the Hindu community, seize their property, and terrorize them to the extent of compelling them into converting or fleeing to the neighbouring India.
Some of the well-known gory events of the time include large scale attacks on Hindu community and Awami League supporters by the followers of the BNP, especially in Lalmohan Upazila of Bhola District in October 2001, wherein Hindu houses and houses of Muslims providing shelter to the hapless Hindus were looted and damaged, women and children were molested and raped, and many people killed in the ensuing pandemonium; bigger trees were cut down on the victims’ properties. Mohammad Badrul Ahsan, a journalist and creative writer, of The Daily Star (Bangladesh) known for its reputation of journalistic integrity and progressive views, wrote in 16 November 2001 about 200 Hindu women were gang raped, youngest about 8 years old and oldest of 70 years age, by the fanatic members of the BNP in Char Fasson Upazila, Bhola District. This was not a stand-alone incident and many cases remained undocumented and unreported in various parts. Some liberal and progressive newspaper analysis ascribed the alleged violence on account of inadequate law enforcement measures and unpreparedness of administration and local governments.
The Bangladesh High Court ordered a judicial investigation in 2009 into the post-election violence following the 2001 general elections, the Commission submitted its report in 2011, the findings included large scale targeted violence against the Hindu community by about 25 thousand people that even included as many as 25 ministers and members of the Parliament belonging to the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami. According to the report, the number of rape crimes exceeded eighteen thousand and a large number of incidents of arson, loot, violence and torture against the members of the minority Hindu community of Bangladesh. Needless to mention, the report of the judicial commission was rejected by the BNP accusing the investigation being partisan (prejudiced). Of course, trials of the crimes including rape were conducted by courts in a few isolated cases leading to some of the guilty punished.
(e) Bangladesh Anti-Hindu Violence 2014
The 10th general elections of the Bangladesh on 5 January 2014 were boycotted by the BNP and its major ally Jamaat-e-Islami on various pretexts; the government was formed by the Awami League with Seikh Hasina Begum as prime minister; and post-election the country was marred with continuous strikes, agitation and violence, during which the members and followers of the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami carried out large scale rioting and attacks on the minority Bengali Hindus. In the ensuing disorder, numerous incidents of vandalism, arson, loot and violence, and sexual violence against women as well took place attacking the people and setting their houses on fire in many districts across the nation. As hitherto fore, the administration and security establishment of Bangladesh was found grossly inadequate and ineffective in controlling the situation on ground for long. Later on, the Bangladesh National Human Rights Commission criticized the Bangladesh government in failing to defend Hindus from the attacks following the election. The official police version as published by the English newspaper The Daily Star listed around 160 incidents of attack and atrocity on Hindus in 21 districts causing human losses, that included injuries to people, looting and damaging houses, temples and business, and setting many of them on fire.
A few such incidents are briefly mentioned for the sake of illustration. In Chittagong Division, the attacks started on 5 January 2014 by the cadres of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir looting and setting at least 150 houses on fire in the Satkania and Lohagara Upazilas, the violence spread in other areas continuing similar inglorious activities till 16 January, damage extending to many Hindu temples too. In Dhaka Division, the Kali Temple in the Netrakona District was vandalized and set on fire on 7 January, and several attacks on residential areas and temples were made in Dhaka city and Gazipur District, including the ISKCON Temple at Swamibagh on 30 June 2014. Several districts in Khulna Division, such as Jessore, Bagerhat, Magura, and Satkhira, reported for more grievous crimes and losses including hacking of many Hindu people, acts of vandalism, loot and arson in a large number of Hindu households and temples by the cadres of the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir, armed with fire arms, sharp weapons, machetes, iron rods and sticks. Many districts in Rangpur, Rajshahi, and Barisal Divisions too reported similar atrocities on Hindu families, their business and worship places.
…And Saga of Persecution Continues!
The aforesaid episodes associated with the religious persecution and atrocities on the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh have been major events but more of illustrative rather than inclusive in account and number of incidents. The saga of discrimination, violence and atrocities over the minorities has remained a continuous phenomenon, and the change of regimes have only led to marginal increase or decrease. The drastic reduction in the number and percentage of Hindus over the decades in Bangladesh vindicates this position. A number of such incidents are either not reported truthfully or simply remain unreported by the establishment. Some such sporadic, low-intensity yet remarkable incidents of violence are briefly mentioned for the sake of better understanding of the aforesaid averments.
- The International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh sentenced death penalty to Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, vice-president of the Jamaat-e-Islami, for the war crimes committed during 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Consequently, the members of the Jammat and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir attacked Hindus in different parts of the country with the loot, vandalism and burning of the Hindu houses, their properties and temples. According to community sources, such attacks led to the destruction of more than 1,500 Hindu homes and 50 Hindu temples in at least twenty districts, including Noakhali, Lakshmipur, Brahmanbaria, Cox’s Bazar, Bagerhat, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Barisal, Bhola, Sylhet, Manikganj, Satkhira, and other places. In fact, the very year 2013 is recorded as one of the deadliest in the history of Independent Bangladesh when over 500 people were killed and thousands injured in political violence, including the aforesaid episode.
- Radical Islamist groups carried out planned and systematic attacks on the minority Hindu community in Nasirnagar Upazila in the Brahmanbaria District in October-November 2016 over an alleged defamatory social media post on Islam by a Hindu fisherman. According to reports, in the ensuing violence, at least 300 houses and 19 temples were vandalized or burnt with over 100 people injured.
- In yet another event of the alleged desecration of Quran in a makeshift temple (worship pandal) in Comilla District, the frenzied Muslim mobs unleashed violence on the minority community from 13 to 19 October 2021 on the occasion of the Durga Puja festival. In the ensuing atrocities, at least 80 temples and 200 worship pandals were vandalized with many deaths and injuries in various parts of the country. Later on, the Bangladesh police arrested and prosecuted one Iqbal Hossain of the Muslim community in connection with the alleged desecration of the holy Quran.
- The aforesaid are only illustrative and not comprehensive instances of the other organized and/or sporadic violence committed against the minority Hindus in Bangladesh.
Anti-Hindu Violence After Fall of Sheikh Hasina Government
The recent large scale communal and ethnic violence in Bangladesh relates to the pre- and post-resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Begum leading to the fall of the Awami League Government on 5 August 2024. Although many in Bangladesh and Western media tout it as a popular students’ movement against an unpopular, autocratic and corrupt Hasina Government, but the fact remains that only Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina inspired some confidence and hope for the democracy and secularism in the country. There are ample reasons and justification to surmise that it was a nemesis of a deep-rooted conspiracy with foreign hands although executed on ground by the cadres of the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and their student wings. The agitating and riotous cadres systematically targeted religious minorities – mostly Hindus, Awami League supporters, and also the government and security personnel loyal to the government. In a series of communal attacks, the Hindus were particularly targeted across the length and breadth of the country following Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. These communal attacks included vandalism, loot and arson in temples, houses and shops belonging to the minority community, apart from inflicting death and injury to many people, including women, across many districts in the country. One of the significant losses include an ISKCON temple in Meherpur in Khulna Division, which was vandalized and set ablaze along with idols of deities on 6 August 2024.
According to an investigative report of the Prothom Alo, a Bengali-language daily newspaper published from Dhaka with the largest circulation in Bangladesh, as many as 1,068 attacks were carried out on the minority community in 49 districts from 5 to 20 August 2024. The maximum number of attacks were reported from the South-western Khulna Division, where at least 295 houses and businesses of the minorities (mostly Hindus) were destroyed. Besides, similar damage and destruction was reported in Rangpur (219), Mymensingh (183), Rajshahi (155), Dhaka (79), Barshal (68), Chattogram (45), and Sylhet (25). Reportedly, the extent of losses varied from place to place with some areas experiencing severe destruction, while others from moderate to a lesser intensity. Of the total 912 documented cases, victims in at least 506 cases were in some or the other way associated with the Awami League. During these investigations, the correspondents of the newspaper group are said to have personally visited and verified 546 damaged houses, business establishments and worship places.
Over the years, other political and religious factions opposed to the Awami League such as Begum Khalida Zia’s BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, their students wings, and several smaller radicalised groups have been aggressively active and posturing for strictly implement Islamic and Sharia laws in the country. The quota reform movement only strengthened these forces to morph into a vicious and mass anti-government uprising indulging in a large-scale violence and sabotage with ultimate removal of the democratically elected government. With the fall of government, instantly, there was a remarkable surge in anti-Hindu violence conducted by the very same elements. For weeks together, disturbing videos and news carrying explicit gory and gruesome details of vandalism, loot, arson and murder have (although many unverified) been circulating on the social media and press, reflecting the deep-seated bias, anger and hate against the minority community. Thousands of the Bangladeshi Hindus were seen trying to cross border in the adjoining Indian states to escape persecution, who were stopped and sent back by the Indian border security forces with subsequent assurances of safety by the new Interim Government. Gravity of the situation could be fathomed from the very fact that the Indian Minister of the External Affairs, and the Prime Minister himself, had to make humanitarian appeal for the “safety and protection, of Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.
Some Stark Reality Bites
In the context of undesirable incidents in Bangladesh, some Western media reports had suggested that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India, her government’s biggest ally. A fair and more accurate version would be to say that she was forced to resign and made to leave country to a destination of her emergent choice. After her exit, the frenzied and violent mobs of protesters started widespread jubilation with a large-scale vandalism and violence in various parts of the country. In most cases, the members of the minority Hindu community were targeted in the ensuing violence. Their houses, business establishments and worship places were vandalized, looted and put on fire, men were thrashed, killed or injured, while women victims too were molested, and raped in many cases. Reports and visuals circulating in media suggest that the police and armed forces did only little or none in time to stop these excesses by the frenzied mobs.
The Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh has been often depicted by the Western media as an autocratic, oppressive and corrupt regime, failing to manage a prolonged economic downturn. Paradoxically, the very Western institutions have often ranked Bangladesh above the more stable India on the overall happiness index, and a fast-growing economy with a high per capita and GDP vis-à-vis other South Asian countries. Such double standards are beyond comprehension but it is a fact that democracy and secularism stood a better chance in Bangladesh with the Awami League in power compared to a regime comprised of pro-Islamic BNP, radical Jamaat-e-Islami, and such other parties/groups.
Some of the decision taken by the Caretaker Government headed by octogenarian leader Muhammad Yunus after taking the oath are indeed worrisome development and clearly not a good omen for the future of minorities and Bangladesh as well:
(1) The Caretaker Government of Muhammad Yunus has lifted ban on Jamaat-E-Islami Bangladesh, its students wing Islami Chhattra Shibir, and all associated organizations on 28 August 2024, which opened its vista as a political party in future. The Jamaat has an inglorious past in Bangladesh in strongly opposing the independence of Bangladesh and actively collaborating with the Pakistan military in mass killings of the nationalists and intellectuals. It remained politically banned for long after the creation of Bangladesh in 1971, the Supreme Court cancelled its registration in August 2013, and Sheikh Hasina government had completely banned its activities on 1st August 2024.
(2) In a controversial move, Muhammad Yunus has released Jashimuddin Rahmani, chief of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an affiliate terrorist outfit of dreaded al-Qaida, from prison. The development is worrisome for the neighbouring India too because, reportedly, the ABT has been trying to establish a jihadi network in India with the assistance of sleeper cells. Days after his release, Rahmani has threatened India seeking support from Pakistan and Afghanistan in fight for the Jammu & Kashmir, and ‘Khalistan’, besides urging the West Bengal Chief Minister to declare independence from “(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi’s rule”.
Days after being released by Yunus-led Bangladesh interim govt, Ansarullah Bangla Team chief threatens India, urges West Bengal CM to declare independence from “Modi’s rule”.
(3) Bangladesh Ministry of Home affairs issued directive in September 2024 to the minority Hindu community urging them to pause religious rituals, especially Durga Puja activities, during the namaz and azaan in the country. The puja committees have been specifically asked to keep musical instruments and sound systems switched off during the offering of namaz and ajaan, and all such restrictions will have to be followed from five minutes prior to azaan/namaz in all cases.
(4) Persecution of Hindus is certainly not a new phenomenon in Bangladesh. Even if we ignore history prior to the partition of India, the Hindus constituted about 23% of population in what is Bangladesh today around 1947, which was shrunk to less than 8% by 2022 owing to constant persecution in terms of conversion, killing and exodus.
| Year | Islam | Hinduism | Others* |
| 1951 | 76.90 | 22.00 | 1.10 |
| 1974 | 85.40 | 13.50 | 1.00 |
| 1991 | 88.30 | 10.50 | 1.20 |
| 2001 | 89.70 | 9.20 | 1.10 |
| 2022 | 91.00 | 7.95 | 1.05 |
* Buddhism, Christianity, atheist etc.
Source: Pakistan Census in 1951, Bangladesh Census 1974 onwards
Anti-Hindu sentiments can be fathomed in this pre-dominantly Islamic country from the simple fact that the only Hindu Chief Justice (Surendra Kumar Sinha: January 2015 – November 2017) of Supreme Court in Bangladesh judicial history was forced to resign slapping the (unfounded) charges of corruption, money laundering and moral turpitude.
Postlude
Way back in the Kashmir Valley of January 1990 reverberated with the chants Ralive Tsalive-ya Galive (meaning Convert, Leave or Perish) from the mosque loudspeakers by the Pakistan backed armed terrorists, radical jihadis and some indoctrinated Muslims that triggered mass killings leading to almost complete exodus of Hindus (mostly Kashmiri Pandits). Though such slogans have not been heard in Bangladesh but the underlying message of Islamic parties and radicalised people have been more or less same, which is also vindicated by the constant dwindling population of Hindus over the decades. The exiled writer and activist Taslima Nasreen had in the past accused even Hasina Begum, rather a secular and moderate face in Bangladesh polity, of working to please radical Islamists in the country. More recently in August 2024, Nasreen said that Sheikh Hasina had thrown her out of the country to “please” Islamists, and now they have “forced Hasina to leave the country”. The very factual statement speaks a lot about the communal status in Bangladesh today.
There should be no doubt that the new dispensation in Bangladesh under Muhammad Yunus will be largely dependent on the support of political parties like the BNP, and radical Islamic parties/groups like the Jamaat-e-Islami for support, which have a gory history as perpetrators of minorities in Bangladesh. The recent decisions of the Interim Government such as the lifting of ban on the Jamaat-e-Islami and its associates despite Supreme Court order, release of the terrorist & ABT chief Rehmani from prison, and imposing religious restrictions on worship by the Hindus during namaz and ajaan clearly indicate the vision and roadmap of the people in power. Whatever the US and their allies hold in their favour due to own regional interests, Sheikh Hasina and Awami League were still a better bet for the future of Bangladesh. After her departure, the radical Islamists appear to have full blown opportunity to fulfil their long-cherished dream of the sharia-based Islamic order in Bangladesh. Omens are certainly not to cherish but only the time will reveal the true fate of Bangladesh and its minorities under the new West-friendly Muhammad Yunus regime in due course.
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