In a press conference held at the Nasrul Hamid Auditorium in Dhaka, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) revealed a report documenting 2,010 attacks on minority communities between August 4 and August 20, 2024. This report comes amidst an alarming surge of violence following the resignation of Sheikh Hasina’s government, highlighting the increasingly perilous situation for Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and other minority groups in the country.
Despite the staggering numbers, the Council’s report has been criticized for failing to capture the full extent of the violence. Missing from the account are critical details of murders, gang rapes, and abductions that have left minority women and girls particularly vulnerable. The BHBCUC acknowledged that their data likely falls short of the true scale of the atrocities, emphasizing that the situation on the ground is far grimmer than the numbers suggest.
A Grim Account of Violence
According to the Council’s report, over 1,705 families were directly impacted by the communal violence across 68 districts in Bangladesh. The Khulna division witnessed the highest number of incidents, including the rape of four women, one of whom was speech impaired. Out of the 2,010 documented incidents, 69 places of worship were attacked, looted, vandalized, and set on fire, affecting temples, churches, and Buddhist monasteries.
The Council noted that 157 families lost their homes and businesses, forcing them into destitution. Beyond the physical destruction, approximately 50,000 people—including men, women, adolescents, children, and people with disabilities—were directly affected by these attacks, while an estimated 20 million minorities now live in a state of fear and trauma.
Falling Short of the Full Picture
The report, however, does not include all cases of murders, gang rapes, and abductions of Hindu women and girls, which are widely reported but difficult to document amid the chaos. HRCBM and other human rights organizations have received unconfirmed reports of severe acts of violence that suggest the situation is much more dire than reported in Prothom Alo and BHBCUC reports. The missing data points to a broader issue of underreporting, reflecting the challenges in capturing the full scope of the atrocities.
In their statement, BHBCUC leaders expressed frustration with the lack of protection for minority communities and urged the interim government led by Nobel Peace Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus to take decisive action against the perpetrators. “The real scale of violence and terror inflicted upon the minorities of Bangladesh is not fully reflected in our data,” said a Council spokesperson. “What we have documented is only the tip of the iceberg.”
Calls for International Intervention
The Council has called on the United Nations and the international community to conduct an independent investigation into the atrocities. They emphasized the urgency of holding the perpetrators accountable and ending the cycle of violence that has plagued minority communities for decades.
During the press conference, BHBCUC highlighted the deep-rooted discrimination against minorities in Bangladesh, referencing the country’s long history of violence against religious and ethnic communities. “It is a matter of grave concern that the attacks continue unabated, with little intervention from authorities,” the Council noted, stressing that immediate international involvement is crucial to safeguard the rights and lives of vulnerable groups.
A History of Injustice
The Council’s appeal for justice extends beyond the current crisis, urging accountability for crimes committed against minorities from 1990 to 2021, which they argue amount to crimes against humanity. Despite multiple reports and investigations, including the 2009 Shahabuddin Commission, previous governments have failed to act on recommendations, allowing a culture of impunity to thrive.
“The struggle for equality, human dignity, and social justice remains unfinished,” said Dr. Nim Chandra Bhowmik, Chairperson of BHBCUC. “The international community must not ignore the ongoing persecution of Bangladesh’s minorities. The time for action is now.”
