The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) noted in 2020 that “amidst the Bangladeshi governments’ broader crackdown on civil rights, freedom of religion or belief continues to be impacted, especially for the country’s religious minorities—including Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and Ahmadi Muslims.”

“First They Will Come for the Hindus, Then the Christians: A Wake-Up Call for Bangladesh,” by Savio Rodrigues, Goa Chronicle, December 17, 2024:

Bangladesh, a nation born out of sacrifice and struggle for freedom, was founded on the ideals of secularism and inclusion. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s vision for the country was rooted in unity across religious and cultural lines. However, in recent decades, this vision has been increasingly overshadowed by rising extremism, systemic discrimination, and violence targeting religious minorities. The pattern is predictable and disturbing: first, they come for the Hindus—vandalizing temples, desecrating idols, and attacking families—and then they turn toward the Christians and other smaller religious communities.

This is not merely a communal issue within Bangladesh but a bellwether for the country’s future as a democracy and as a secular state. It is also a matter of global concern because religious extremism and intolerance, if allowed to fester unchecked, can have broader implications across borders. The call to action—#BangladeshStopHate—is not just a plea but a demand for the protection of minorities, accountability for perpetrators, and a return to the secular ideals on which Bangladesh was founded.

The Hindu community in Bangladesh has faced an unrelenting wave of violence and intimidation over the decades. While Hindus made up about 29% of the population at the time of partition in 1947, today their numbers have declined to under 9%. This decline is not coincidental but the result of systematic persecution, discrimination, and displacement.

Each year during the Hindu festivals of Durga Puja or Kali Puja, a new wave of attacks emerges. Temples are desecrated, idols smashed, homes looted, and families threatened or forced to flee. In October 2021, communal violence erupted during Durga Puja celebrations after false rumors spread about a desecration of the Quran in a temple. Mobs rampaged across multiple districts, attacking hundreds of temples and homes belonging to Hindus. The state response was weak and inadequate, with very few arrests or convictions.

The fear and intimidation faced by Hindus extend beyond the violence of mobs. Land belonging to Hindu families has often been illegally seized through fraudulent means or under the threat of force, leaving families destitute. The Vested Property Act—a remnant of Pakistan’s discriminatory laws—continues to have a long shadow, depriving many Hindus of their rightful properties. In rural areas, Hindu families are vulnerable to everyday harassment and abuse, forcing many to migrate to neighboring India in search of safety.

After the Hindus, Christians in Bangladesh are increasingly becoming targets of religious intolerance. Christians make up less than 1% of Bangladesh’s population, and while the community has largely remained peaceful and inconspicuous, they are not immune to the rising tide of extremism.

Churches have been attacked, Christian cemeteries vandalized, and missionary work disrupted. In some cases, Christians face threats and accusations under Bangladesh’s blasphemy laws, which can carry severe penalties. The spread of Islamist propaganda, labeling Christians as agents of “Western influence,” has stoked further resentment, painting the community as outsiders.

Instances of forced conversions, intimidation of pastors, and harassment of Christian families in rural and tribal areas are on the rise. For the indigenous Christian communities, particularly in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, the persecution is twofold—both as ethnic minorities and as religious minorities.

While these incidents are fewer compared to attacks on Hindus, they follow the same predictable pattern. When a state fails to act against hatred, the extremists grow bolder. Once one community is subdued, the hatred inevitably spills over to the next vulnerable group….