Majority of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh ‘not communally motivated’ but ‘political in nature’: Police report

Activists of Hindu Jagaran Mancha participate in a rally to protest over arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das by the Bangladesh police, in Kolkata (File photo: PTI)

Majority of the attacks on minorities in Bangladesh that took place since Sheikh Hasina’s ouster were ‘not communally motivated — rather, they were political in nature’, according to a police report.
This came after the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council reported that minorities in Bangladesh faced 1,769 incidents of communal violence and vandalism, the Daily Star reported.
Of these reported incidents of communal violence against minorities in Bangladesh since August 4, 2024, police have registered 62 cases and arrested at least 35 individuals based on investigation findings, according to the report.
The police report indicated that most attacks on minorities in Bangladesh were politically driven rather than communally motivated, with investigations confirming 1,234 incidents as political and only 20 as communal. Moreover, the report said that at least 161 claims of attacks were false, while the Council reported that 1,452 incidents—82.8% of the total—occurred on August 5, 2024, the day Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power, the daily star reported.
The report said that 53 cases has been filed and 65 arrests have been made. Overall, since August 4, there have been 115 registered complaints of communal attacks, resulting in the arrest of at least 100 individuals.
The interim government reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on communal violence.
“The government has also announced that it would compensate the victims. The interim government attaches the highest importance to the establishment of human rights irrespective of creed, colour, ethnicity, sex or gender,” said chief adviser’s deputy press secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder.
Following the collapse of Hasina government, India at many occasions has expressed concerns over the security of minorities, particularly Hindus, who were widely seen as supporters of Hasina’s Awami League.
The arrest of Iskcon priest Chinmoy Krishna Das over a sedition charge, which stemmed from the hoisting of a saffron flag above Bangladesh’s national flag during a rally, further raised apprehensions of discrimination against minorities in the South Asian nation, attracting condemnation from India.
Bangladesh interim government has dismissed such claims with government chief adviser Muhammad Yunus claiming that violence against minorities had occurred “only in some cases” and most complaints were “completely exaggerated”.