111 Cases, 24 Murders: Report Flags Continued Minority Persecution In Bangladesh Under BNP Rule

Last Updated:May 18, 2026, 10:59 IST

The group documented 16 incidents of land grab involving minority victims, four incidents of firing targeting minorities, and three incidents of desecration of religious places.

On February 17, Tarique Rahman took oath as the eleventh Prime Minister of Bangladesh, with India among the first world powers to congratulate him. It brought a thaw in bilateral ties that had frozen during the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government’s tenure. After the BNP swept to power, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally spoke to Rahman, highlighting the “close and friendly relations between the two nations". The perception in both countries was that, after sixteen months of minority persecution in Bangladesh, the worst may be over.

However, two months into the new government, the reality appears to suggest otherwise.

A Bangladesh-based minority rights group – the Sanatani Foundation – which chronicles data on the persecution of Bangladeshi Hindus every month, claims there were a whopping 111 incidents of minority persecution in Bangladesh between February 17, the day Rahman took oath as Prime Minister, and April 30, 2026.

According to the organisation’s report, 22 per cent — the lion’s share — of the violence involved murder. The report claims there were 24 murders of minorities during the period. It was closely followed by incidents of loot and theft, which accounted for 19 per cent of the cases. The organisation also documented 16 incidents of land grabbing involving minority victims, four incidents of firing targeting minorities, and three incidents of desecration of religious places. There were also two cases of rape during this period where the victims were minorities, including one incident in which, within days of the swearing-in, a differently abled mother of one was allegedly abducted from a kirtan gathering and gang-raped.

Shockingly, the report states as one of its key findings that there has been “a rise in targeted harassment and violence against minorities, especially Hindus". After the BNP came to power, minority persecution was expected to witness a dip in India’s eastern neighbour.

The report identifies four recurring patterns while examining the case studies: first, vandalism of temples and other places of worship; second, physical violence linked to local or communal tensions; third, forced occupation of minority-owned land; and finally, threats and forced displacement in rural areas.

In his first televised address, Rahman had promised the nation: “We want to turn this country into a safe land for every citizen. Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians — regardless of party, opinion, religion, or ethnicity — whether living in the hills or the plains, this country belongs to all of us."

News world 111 Cases, 24 Murders: Report Flags Continued Minority Persecution In Bangladesh Under BNP Rule

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