A newly released report by the Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) presents a troubling account of the conditions faced by minority communities across Bangladesh. The report documents a sharp and “relentless” increase in deadly violence since the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus assumed power.
According to HRCBM, between June 6, 2025, and January 5, 2026, at least 116 killings were confirmed across all eight administrative divisions and in no fewer than 45 districts. The wide geographic spread of these incidents underscores that the violence is not isolated or regional, but rather a nationwide crisis.
The report places the current situation within a much longer historical context. For nearly eight decades, minority communities in Bangladesh have faced repeated cycles of violence, dispossession, and state neglect. This pattern dates back to the communal riots of 1946 and continued through major episodes of violence in 1950, 1964, and 1971. Even after independence, serious outbreaks were recorded in 1989, 1990, 2001, 2004, 2012, 2015, 2021, 2024, and again in 2025. HRCBM argues that these recurring incidents demonstrate a sustained, intergenerational cycle of persecution rather than sporadic unrest.
Key Findings of the HRCBM Report
- Targeted murders: 48.3%
- Mob lynchings: 10.3%
- Suspicious or unexplained deaths: 12.9%
- Deaths in police custody or involving law enforcement: 6.9%
- Killings by army or state lethal force: 8.6%
- Attack-related deaths: 12.9%
HRCBM stresses that the current wave of killings should not be viewed as random criminal acts. Instead, the report describes the violence as “structural,” arguing that it is embedded within social and political systems. The group points to demographic data showing that minorities constituted nearly 30% of the population in 1946 but had declined to less than 9% by 2020. This long-term reduction, the report warns, reflects patterns consistent with repeated, large-scale crimes targeting entire communities.
The forms of violence have varied over time. Nearly half of the documented cases involved targeted killings, where victims were singled out following threats, intimidation, or sustained pressure from local actors. Mob lynchings were frequently triggered by false allegations of theft or blasphemy. The report also records deaths involving state authorities, including killings by security forces and fatalities occurring in police custody.
The Killing of Dipu Chandra Das
The report highlights the December 2025 lynching of Dipu Chandra Das as a particularly significant case that sparked a renewed cycle of violence. Das was beaten to death by a mob following an allegation of blasphemy. In incidents such as this, HRCBM notes that police often failed to intervene, creating what the organization describes as an environment of tacit tolerance for mob violence.
The report further points to a severe breakdown in the justice system. Police frequently refuse to register cases or conduct proper investigations, resulting in what HRCBM characterizes as near-total impunity for perpetrators. Political interference and selective law enforcement, it adds, have critically undermined the rule of law.
Beyond statistics, the human cost has been devastating. Many of those killed were the sole breadwinners for their families, leaving widows and children without income, protection, or social support.
