A spate of recent attacks has amplified fears among the country’s religious minorities ahead of the February 12 vote, even though the government insists most incidents have been ordinary crimes.
Dhaka, Bangladesh — Sukumar Pramanik, a Hindu teacher in Rajshahi city, which is roughly 250 kilometers (155 miles) from Dhaka, the country’s capital, believes that the next national election may be his last chance to have faith in politics.
Throughout Bangladesh’s history, there have been spikes in political and communal violence during election seasons, with religious minority frequently suffering the most in the face of fierce social unrest and political rivalry.
Although the administration maintains that most instances were not motivated by religious hatred, minorities in Bangladesh have felt under siege since August 2024, when previous Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s rule ended. There have been allegations of attacks, murders, and arson against their property.
Despite efforts by major political parties to reach out to minority populations, this background has increased anxiety ahead of the election on February 12. Pramanik stated, “The leaders of major parties have assured us that we will be safe before and after the vote,” but his community currently has little faith in politicians.
Mobs in various parts of the nation targeted the Hindu community following the August 2024 uprising that resulted in Hasina’s removal. Many of the Hindu community had previously supported Hasina’s Awami League, which has long attempted to claim a “secular” mantle, despite criticism that the party has engaged in scare tactics and failed to stop attacks on minorities during its lengthy tenure in power.
Pramanik said that he was beaten and had his hand broken by a crowd from his village that attacked the Hindu community in Bidyadharpur, Rajshahi. He spent days in the hospital and needed surgery. He claimed, “I stood in front of the mob thinking they knew me and would not attack me.” More than only breaking my hand, they also damaged my heart and my confidence. This was unlike anything I had ever encountered.
‘No proper justice’
In Bangladesh, where Muslims predominate, Hindus make up around 8% of the population; Christians, Buddhists, and other minorities are far less common.
Experts and minority leaders claim that throughout Bangladesh’s history, political actors and their allies have occasionally used religious identities to intimidate voters or resolve local conflicts, resulting in targeted attacks on minority houses, places of worship, and persons.
Manindra Kumar Nath, acting general secretary of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC), an umbrella organization that represents these minority communities, told Al Jazeera, “If you look at elections in the past – even during the Awami League’s tenure, oppression and persecution of minorities never truly stopped.” “It occurred both prior to and following elections.” However, he claimed that “there has been no proper justice,” which made matters worse.
Not after violence against Hindus in the years that followed the election that former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won in 2001.
These concerns have now been rekindled by intermittent attacks in the months leading up to the election. The BHBCUC reports that there were at least 522 communal attacks in 2025, including 61 fatalities. According to the group, 2,184 occurrences occurred in 2024 after Hasina was removed in August of that year.
According to Nath, minorities are currently “deeply insecure” ahead of the election. “Everyone is afraid,” he continued.
The government of Bangladesh denies allegations of rampant violence between communities. Official data shows that there were 645 occurrences involving members of ethnic populations in 2025. The government claims that only 71 of them had “communal elements,” with the remaining ones being categorized as normal criminal offenses. Officials emphasize the need to differentiate communal violence from more general law-and-order offenses, arguing that the statistics demonstrate that the majority of instances involving minorities were not motivated by religious animosity.
According to government statistics, there are between 3,000 and 3,500 violent crime deaths annually in Bangladesh, a country that continues to struggle with law and order.
The administration has also claimed that since Hasina’s government fell, the subject has been politicized worldwide, especially by Indian politicians and media.
However, the evidence presented by rights groups is different. The well-known human rights organization Ain o Salish Kendra recorded 221 instances of community violence in 2025, including one fatality and 17 injuries; this figure is higher than that of the government but lower than that of the BHBCUC.
Interviews with minority communities reveal profound concern influenced by recent lived experience, despite the disparate numbers.
‘Not another mental trauma’
On the afternoon of August 5, 2024—the day Hasina fled and sought refuge in India—Shefali Sarkar, a homemaker in Bidyadharpur, Rajshahi, witnessed her life completely upended.
The ladies in the village were left behind in their homes when the majority of the men departed as worries of an attack grew. Following Hasina’s removal, mobs mostly targeted men.
“They began damaging our home.” Shefali recalled the day, still clearly rattled. “I thought this was it – that we were going to die,” she added. “After this, I needed mental health treatment because it left a deep scar in my mind.”
Shefali claimed that her anxiousness has returned as elections draw near, worried that any new disturbances could turn her village into a target once more. She declared, “I cannot endure another mental trauma.”
Since the attack, the region has remained peaceful, according to her husband Narayan Sarkar, and local Muslims and government figures have promised them protection. “But the fear never goes away—peace can be taken away at any time,” he remarked.
Unrest might spread’
Not everyone is as concerned.
The secretary of the local Durga Puja celebration committee is Shaymol Karmokar, who is from the Faridpur area in central Bangladesh. A significant Hindu Bengali holiday, Durga Puja is observed in West Bengal, India, and Bangladesh.
According to Karmokar, “we have traditionally maintained strong communal harmony here over the years.” “Attacks during the uprising were reported in many areas, but nothing occurred in our locality.”
Political leaders, he continued, had aggressively sought out minority votes and pledged to protect them. He declared, “We will cast our ballots and anticipate a peaceful election.”
In fact, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s son, BNP leader Tarique Rahman, has expressed his wish to create an inclusive Bangladesh where all people, regardless of religion, feel comfortable and protected.
Additionally, as part of its communal outreach, the BNP’s main opponent in the elections, Jamaat-e-Islami, has for the first time nominated a Hindu candidate from the city of Khulna.
However, concerns about election violence are significant in Gopalganj, where approximately 25% of voters are Hindu.
Govinda Pramanik, an independent candidate and secretary-general of the Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajote [Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance], expressed concern that “unrest might spread around this election” in one of the district’s heavily Hindu constituencies, which is also Hasina’s birthplace.
The government and election authorities could have done more to allay minority worries, according to Nath of BHBCUC. He stated, “The Election Commission has never once asked religious minorities what issues they are facing or what support they need as it operates.”
However, officials have taken action to safeguard minorities and guarantee a peaceful election, according to Shafiqul Alam, press secretary to Muhammad Yunus, the leader of Bangladesh’s interim administration. Alam told Al Jazeera, “We have taken adequate measures so that people of all communities—minorities and majorities, followers of all faiths and identities—can vote in a festive atmosphere.” “The elections were rigged under Sheikh Hasina for the past 15 years, so they were unable to vote freely.”
He went on, “Our priority is to ensure that everyone can vote this time,” emphasizing that minority populations had been consulted and their concerns had been addressed by the administration.
Sukumar Pramanik, back in Rajshahi’s Bidyadharpur village, said he was carefully considering these guarantees. “This will be the last time I put my trust in them if we are attacked again,” he declared.
