2024 Bangladesh anti-Hindu violence

After Sheikh Hasina stepped down on August 5, 2024, there were attacks on homes, shops, and temples of the Hindu community. The Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council reported that from August 4 to August 20, there were 2,010 attacks on minorities, including 69 temples, in only 16 days. In these attacks 157 families' homes were damaged, looted, destroyed, or burned and some of their shops were damaged and looted as well. 9 Hindus were killed in 15 days during these attacks, of whom 2 of them were confirmed to be members of the Awami League.

## Background

The quota reform movement in July 2024 was a strong protest against the government, which finally took the Awami League government out of power. Over the years, all major political parties of the country have caused violence against Hindus. This the Jatiya Party did in 1990, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) in 2001, Jamaat-e-Islami in 2013, and BNP and Jamaat together in 2014.

Due to that, these parties lost the support from the Hindu community. Awami League was seen as the last hope for secularism and was thought to protect the Hindu minority despite several attacks happening during its time in power.

## Attacks

After Hasina left, many attacks happened against Hindus in Bangladesh. The attacks included damage to temples, homes, and shops owned by minorities. There were also reports of theft and killing in many parts of the country.

A report by _Prothom Alo_ from August 5 to August 20, 2024, showed that 1,068 attacks occurred in 49 districts. Most attacks took place in Khulna, where at least 295 homes and shops were damaged. Other places also suffered: 219 in Rangpur, 183 in Mymensingh, 155 in Rajshahi, 79 in Dhaka, 68 in Barisal, 45 in Chattogram, and 25 in Sylhet.

In some areas, the damage was very bad, but in others, it was not so much. Two Hindus died, and there was a total of 912 attacks. In at least 506 cases, the victims supported the Awami League. Prothom Alo reporters found 546 damaged houses and shops, 51 percent of all the destruction.

Minority groups reported 2,010 acts of violence across the country from August 4 to August 20, 2024. Nine people were killed. A total of 1,705 families were affected. Of these, 157 families had their homes and shops attacked, robbed, destroyed or burned. Some families also lost their land because it was seized by force. An investigation by Netra News on October 30 found that some of the killings did not seem linked to religion.

Police sources said that from August 5 to August 9, after the Awami League government ended, there were 47 events near puja mandaps. These included 30 idols and temples being damaged, 4 robberies, 3 fires, and 10 other cases. From October 1 until now, police reported 35 events linked to Durga Puja in Bangladesh. They arrested 17 people and filed about 12 cases.

At a press meeting by the Bangladesh Chhatra Oikya Parishad, a group for minorities, it was said that 49 minority teachers had to leave their jobs between August 5 and August 31. One of the teachers, Haripada Das from Chandpur, said his house was attacked and looted on August 5, after the government changed. He and his family barely got away. While his family returned home, he did not. He has often been told to leave his job, and he is afraid to go back to work. But the government has told him to return to his college tomorrow.

At the same time, 252 Hindu police officers lost their jobs. Now, there are no Hindu Sub-Inspectors (SI) in Bangladesh.

The Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, said there had been 2,200 cases of violence against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh from 2024 until December 8.