The majority of incidents involving members of minority communities in Bangladesh during 2025 were “criminal in nature” and not driven by communal motives, the interim government said on Monday (January 19, 2026).

The statement issued by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus Press Wing came days after India, on January 9, pressed Dhaka to “swiftly and firmly” deal with attacks on minorities in Bangladesh and described as “troubling” the attempts to attribute the incidents to extraneous reasons.

New Delhi’s reaction had come against the backdrop of the killing of several Hindu individuals in Bangladesh in the last few weeks.

Citing a yearlong review of official police records, the interim government said a total of 645 incidents involving minority communities were recorded between January and December 2025 across Bangladesh.

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“While every incident is a matter of concern, the data presents a clear and evidence-based picture: the overwhelming majority of cases were criminal in nature rather than communal,” it said.

According to the statement posted on the Chief Adviser’s verified social media handle, of the 645 incidents, 71 were identified as having communal elements.

These included 38 cases of temple vandalism, eight of arson, one of theft, one murder and 23 other incidents such as threats to break idols, provocative social media posts and damage to worship pavilions.

Police cases were filed in 50 of these incidents, and arrests were made in an equal number, while other preventive or investigative measures were taken in 21 cases, the statement said.

The remaining 574 incidents were linked to criminal or social disputes unrelated to religion, including neighbourhood disputes (51), land-related conflicts (23), theft (106), prior personal enmity (26), rape (58) and 172 cases of unnatural death.

Police registered 390 cases in this category, filed 154 unnatural death reports and made 498 arrests, with additional measures taken in 30 incidents.

The interim government said the report “does not deny challenges, nor does it claim perfection; rather, it seeks to provide a factual, evidence-based picture of crime trends affecting minority communities within the broader national context”.

“While all crimes are serious and demand accountability, the data demonstrates that most incidents involving minority victims were not driven by communal hostility, but by broader criminal and social factors that affect citizens across religious and ethnic lines,” it said.

According to the 2022 census, the Hindu population in Bangladesh is approximately 13.13 million, which accounts for about 7.95% of the country’s total population. The Buddhist population is approximately 1.01 million (0.61%), Christians nearly 5,00,000 and other religions, including Sikh and Animist, approximately 2,00,000 (0.12%).

Earlier this month, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) in a statement alleged that as the date of the general elections draws nearer, communal violence is increasing at an alarming rate in the country. Parliamentary polls are scheduled on February 12.

The forum alleged that the violence is aimed at preventing minority voters from casting votes for candidates of their choice.

The Council said it has recorded 51 incidents of communal violence in December 2025 alone.

The interim government in the statement reiterated that ensuring safety and justice for all citizens, including Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and people of other beliefs, remains a constitutional and moral obligation.

On January 9, reacting to the recent spate of violence targeting Hindus in Bangladesh, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “We continue to witness a disturbing pattern of recurring attacks on minorities as well as their homes and businesses by extremists.”

Such communal incidents need to be dealt with swiftly and firmly, he said.

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“We have observed a troubling tendency to attribute such incidents to personal rivalries, political differences, or extraneous reasons.

“Such disregard only emboldens the perpetrators and deepens the sense of fear and insecurity among minorities,” Mr. Jaiswal said.

The relations between India and Bangladesh were strained after the interim government headed by Mr. Yunus assumed charge following the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024.

India has been expressing concerns over attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, in Bangladesh.

Published – January 19, 2026 03:37 pm IST

Dhaka:

Bangladesh on Tuesday acknowledged 88 incidents of communal violence against minorities, primarily Hindus, following the ouster of then-premier Sheikh Hasina in August.

Interim government head Muhammad Yunus’ press secretary Shafiqul Alam also said that 70 people have been arrested in those incidents.

He made the disclosure a day after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri flagged regrettable incidents of attacks on minorities and conveyed India’s concerns, including those related to the safety and welfare of minorities, during his meetings with the Bangladeshi leadership.

A total of 88 cases have been filed in incidents related to minorities from August 5 to October 22, Alam told reporters.

“The number of cases and arrests is likely to increase as new incidents of violence have also been reported in (northeastern Sunamganj, (central) Gazipur, and other areas,” he said.

He added that there might be cases where some victims were members of the previous ruling party.

The government has so far insisted that other than a few incidents, Hindus were not attacked because of their faiths.

“Some attacks targeted individuals who were former members of the ruling party or they were the result of personal disputes. Nevertheless, since violence occurred, the police are taking appropriate action,” he said.

Alam said that details regarding the incidents that took place after October 22 will be shared soon.

There have been a spate of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities, as well as attacks on temples in Bangladesh in the last few weeks that triggered strong concerns in New Delhi.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)