Call to protect religious minorities after Bangladesh election

Ansar Ahmed Ullah
Contributing Editor,Shottobani

London: Community leaders in London have urged the Bangladeshi government, political parties and civil society organisations to take “responsible and decisive action” to ensure the safety of religious minorities in the aftermath of Bangladesh’s forthcoming national election.

Speaking at a press briefing organised by the Forum for Secular Bangladesh at the London Bangla Press Club in East London on 10 February 2026, speakers expressed growing concern over what they described as a sustained pattern of targeted attacks, intimidation and displacement affecting Hindu and other minority communities.

According to international and local human rights organisations, there has been a continuing rise in communal violence in Bangladesh, with fears that the situation could worsen following the election. Participants warned that post-election violence posed a “serious and imminent risk” to minority groups.

The meeting was chaired by Syed Enamul Islam, president of the Forum for Secular Bangladesh and moderated by Shah Mustafijur Rahman Belal. Speakers included Councillor Puspita Gupta of the Secular Bangladesh Movement, Prashanta Dutta Purakaystha BEM of the Bangladesh Hindu Association, Robin Paul of Sanaton Association, Hindu Society’s Haradhan Bhowmick & Swarup Shyma Chowdhury, online activist Sushanta Das Gupta, Gyan Gupta, Joydip Roy and several journalists, academics and community activists.

Citing data from minority rights groups such as the Bangladesh Human Rights Support Society and the Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, speakers said that between 2022 and 2025, more than 3,000 incidents of vandalism and arson had been recorded, alongside over 500 cases of sexual violence and the displacement of tens of thousands of people.

They also pointed to a deterioration in overall law and order, including reports of firearms being looted from police stations, the escape of detainees with extremist links, and increased activity by radical groups. Independent observers, they said, have raised concerns about a lack of accountability, delayed police responses, and a tendency to misclassify communal crimes as political disputes.

Recent field reports broadcast by Al Jazeera and BBC Bangla were also cited, suggesting that Hindu and other minority voters are currently living in fear, with intimidation likely to severely hinder their participation in the upcoming election.

In a memorandum submitted to the British Prime Minister, the Forum for Secular Bangladesh called on the UK government to strengthen diplomatic engagement with Dhaka, promote a zero-tolerance stance on communal violence, support independent election and human rights monitoring, and encourage cooperation with UN special rapporteurs on minority rights. The memorandum stated, “Prompt and firm engagement by the United Kingdom can help prevent renewed communal violence and support a peaceful and democratic election process in Bangladesh. Repeated incidents of mob attacks, extremist activity and impunity show that the Hindu minority remains at grave risk.”

The organisation also made several recommendations, including public commitments by Bangladesh’s prime minister and army chief against minority persecution, the deployment of security forces in vulnerable areas for at least 15 days after the election, pledges by major political parties not to scapegoat minorities regardless of electoral outcomes, and the formation of community protection networks by civil society groups.

Speakers concluded that without urgent and coordinated action, religious minorities in Bangladesh could face heightened insecurity in the critical period following the vote.