DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) 鈥� Dipu Chandra Das, a 27-year-old Hindu garment worker, was accused in December by several Muslim colleagues of making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad. The accusations drew a violent mob to his workplace. He was beaten to death, his body hung from a tree and set on fire.
Across Bangladesh, Hindus watched the recorded images on their phones with dread. Protests erupted in Dhaka and other cities, with demonstrators demanding justice and greater protections. The interim government, led by , ordered an investigation, and police said that about a dozen people were arrested.
But human rights groups and Hindu leaders say the killing wasn’t an isolated act, but part of on the minority community, , the reemergence of Islamists and what they describe as a growing culture of impunity. Among Hindus, fear has grown more pervasive as the Muslim-majority nation moves toward on Feb. 12.
鈥淣o one feels safe anymore,鈥� said Ranjan Karmaker, a Dhaka-based Hindu human rights activist. 鈥淓veryone is terrified.鈥�
Surge in attacks
Hindus make up a small minority in Bangladesh, about 13.1 million people, or roughly 8% of the country鈥檚 population of 170 million, while Muslims make up 91%.
The , an umbrella group representing minority communities, says it documented more than 2,000 incidents of communal violence since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in a mass uprising in August 2024.
The group recorded at least 61 killings, 28 instances of violence against women 鈥� among them rape and gang rape 鈥� and 95 attacks on places of worship involving vandalism, looting and arson. It has also accused the Yunus-led administration of routinely dismissing or downplaying reports of such violence.
When contacted by The Associated Press for a response, an official from Yunus鈥� press team declined to comment. The administration headed by Yunus has consistently denied claims that it has failed to ensure adequate protection for minority communities and insisted that most incidents aren’t driven by religious hostility.
Previous elections in Bangladesh have also seen increases in violence, with religious minorities often bearing the brunt. But with Hasina鈥檚 Awami League party barred from contesting elections and with her living in exile in India, many Hindus fear the worst as they have long been viewed as aligned with Hasina.
Karmaker, the rights activist, said that Hindus are often perceived as voting en masse for one side, a perception that heightens their vulnerability. He said that the community was also gripped by fear because of a culture of impunity, and near-weekly incidents, warning that in some parts of the country the Hindu community was facing 鈥渁n existential crisis.鈥�
鈥淭he individuals involved in this violence are not being brought under the law, nor are they being held accountable through the justice system. It creates the impression that the violence will continue,鈥� Karmaker said.
Islamists reclaim influence
The surge in attacks against Hindus has unfolded alongside the reemergence of , Bangladesh鈥檚 largest Islamist party, and its student wing. After years on the political sidelines because of bans, arrests and sustained crackdowns under Hasina鈥檚 government, the party sees the election as to reclaim influence.
Jamaat-e-Islami anchors a broader Islamist alliance of 11 parties, among them the student-led , or NCP, whose leaders played a central role in the 2024 uprising.
As concerns grow over what its return could mean for religious minorities, Jamaat-e-Islami has moved to recast its public image, even though it advocates Shariah, or Islamic law. It has organized public rallies featuring Hindu participants and nominated a Hindu community leader as one of its candidates.
Meanwhile, NCP has pledged to support citizens facing religious discrimination and said that if elected, it would establish a dedicated unit within the Human Rights Commission to protect minority rights.
Political analyst Altaf Parvez said that such decisions were largely symbolic. He said that other political parties, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, had also failed minorities by nominating only a handful of candidates 鈥� a move, he said, that didn’t reflect a genuine political commitment to inclusive politics.
Parvez said a systematic pattern of attacks was taking place in rural areas to inject more fear among the minorities before the vote.
鈥淚t will impact the participation of the voters from the minority communities in the next elections too,鈥� he said.
Tensions rise with India
Attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh have also with neighboring India, prompting protests by and criticism from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi鈥檚 government.
India鈥檚 Foreign Ministry recently accused Bangladesh of downplaying a 鈥渄isturbing pattern of recurring attacks鈥� on Hindus, saying such violence was wrongly blamed on personal or political disputes. Bangladesh, in turn, described India鈥檚 criticism as 鈥渟ystematic attempts鈥� to stoke anti-Bangladesh sentiments.
The dispute has spilled into diplomacy and . Both sides have suspended some visa services and accused each other of failing to protect diplomatic missions. Protests in India led cricket officials to bar a Bangladeshi player from the tournament, followed by Bangladesh鈥檚 boycott of this month鈥檚 World Cup in India.
Sreeradha Datta, a Bangladesh expert at India鈥檚 Jindal School of International Affairs, said that India鈥檚 concerns were 鈥渓egitimate.鈥�
“Hindus in Bangladesh are a very vulnerable group that can鈥檛 defend themselves, and Yunus鈥� administration is in exit mode and deliberately looking the other way,鈥� she said.
Families demand justice
For those caught in the violence, the losses have been deeply personal.
When word of Das鈥� killing reached his home village in Bangladesh鈥檚 Mymensingh district, disbelief settled in among relatives and neighbors. Many said they watched images of his killing on their phones.
鈥淲hen people say they saw it on their phones, my chest feels like it is going to burst,鈥� his father said.
Das was known as a quiet, well-behaved man. He was also the sole breadwinner for his family, relatives said, and his death has left his wife and mother facing an uncertain future.
His mother, Shefali Rani Das, said the family is seeking justice for the killing.
鈥淭hey beat him, hung him from a tree, and burned him. I demand justice,鈥� she said.
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Sheikh Saaliq reported from New Delhi.
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