Bangladesh has experienced recurring cycles of anti-Hindu violence, often explained away as ‘political turmoil’.  Hindus, the indigenous inhabitants of the land, have been repeatedly targeted and attacked, with even their temples and spiritual leaders being targeted directly. 

The violent anti-Hindu oppression reached its zenith with the launch of Operation Searchlight in March 1971 by the Pakistan army against its own citizens. The staggering scale of state sponsored violence in the months that followed, finally drew attention to the Bengali Hindu genocide underway. Prominent leaders such as Senator Ted Kennedy documented and testified about the atrocities, while celebrities like the Beatles organized concerts to increase awareness. The crisis compelled neighboring India to intervene militarily to stop the pogrom. However, despite the creation of an independent Bangladesh, Hindus have continued to face systemc violence, including murders, arson, destruction of property, and attacks on temples. report

According to an Ain O Salish Kendra report,  3,679 attacks on the Hindu community took place between 2013–2021, including 1,678 cases of vandalism and arson targeting Hindu temples, idols, and places of worship. However, the ongoing surge in anti-Hindu violence since the August 2024 fall of the Sheikh Hasina government, has been shocking, even by Bangladesh’s own troubling standards.

Arson, looting, assaults, rapes, massacres, forced resignations, public lynchings, and temple desecrations have become grim daily realities. Perpetrators operate with impunity, while major Hindu festivals like Durga Puja have had to be scaled back due to safety concerns. Protests from the Hindu minority have only led to further suppression. For example, senior spiritual leader Chinmoy Das Prabhu, who advocated for justice was arrested and denied basic legal rights like a bail hearing, thereby exposing the state’s complicity, while state and non-state actors threaten even global Hindu groups like Iskcon. 

Adding to the gravity of the situation, the interim government in Dhaka and media outlets have sought to downplay this violence as ‘political and not religiously motivated’, leaving not many options for the suffering minorities.