Bangladesh set to vote, worried Hindus ask: ‘Who will protect us?’

l At the 900-year-old Dhakeshwari temple, a 36-year-old man has come with his three-year-old daughter to pay obeisance to the “Goddess of Dhaka”. As the young girl plays in the tiled courtyard, her father prays for the “safety” of his family. “My parents were teachers and well-respected here. In 2001-2006, when I was in school, there were many incidents against Hindus during the BNP-Jamaat coalition-ruled government. At that time, we had thought of moving out of Bangladesh but my parents said, ‘We love Bangladesh, we belong here, so why should we leave?’ Today, when I think of my child’s future, I feel we made a mistake by staying,” the father, who did not wish to be identified, said. l About 100 km from Dhaka, in Mymensingh, Apu Das (20), the brother of Dipu Das who was beaten and burned to death by a mob for alleged blasphemy in December last year, is hoping for justice. The brutal killing, in the Square Masterbari area of Bhaluka upazila, was reported in the media at the time as “communal violence”. Apu remembers his brother as a “kind-hearted person”. “He was the sole breadwinner of our family and we lost him too early. I hope he gets justice,” Apu, who works in a workshop, said. It is up to him now, he said, to provide for the family, including his parents and Das’s wife and children. l Basudeb Dhar, a community leader, drove more than five hours from Dhaka on Monday to Kishoreganj, when he heard about Hindus being allegedly intimidated so that they wouldn’t cast their votes. He met local authorities and returned after being assured of their security. As Bangladesh votes on February 12, these vignettes capture the unease among the Hindu community in Bangladesh, who say they have been “living in fear” and are “concerned about their future”. With the rise and return of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, who have a poor track record on the safety of minorities, these concerns have heightened. Bangladesh is a 90 per cent Muslim-majority country, where about 1.3 crore Hindus live along with more than 16 crore Muslims. After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024, there was lawlessness on the streets and many seized the opportunity to target the vulnerable — the Hindu community, which constituted the traditional support base of Hasina’s Awami League, became an easy target. According to community leaders, about 2,700 incidents of targeted violence have allegedly taken place in the past 18 months of the interim government led by Prof Muhammad Yunus. “Despite Prof Yunus promising and making declarations about inclusivity, the interim government had failed to provide security and take action against these elements,” Manindra Kumar Nath, who heads a community group, said. Speaking to The Indian Express at the Dhakeshwari temple, Nath said, “The minorities, we are living in fear and tension… so many incidents and atrocities, including murder, rape, temple attacks have taken place. The interim government has been denying the real picture. In this situation, secularism is the main issue… everyone has equal rights in this country.” According to him, “Prof Yunus came and said we are one family, but they deny the atrocities. They said they are political killings. How can that be?” Given this environment, all eyes are on BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, which are expected to emerge as the two biggest parties in the elections. BNP leaders point to their manifesto, which has a section on “religious harmony”. It reads: “National Identity: ‘Religion is individual, the state is for all’, ending all divisions through the unified Bangladeshi identity.” It also commits to “Religious Freedom: Ensuring the right to perform religious rituals and celebrate festivals without any hindrance” and “Security: Implementing strict legal protections to ensure the safety of life, property, and places of worship for minorities and followers of all faiths.” The Jamaat-e-Islami has merely said that they “seek to establish a political environment in which all individuals — regardless of ethnicity, religion, or race — can freely think, express their opinions, and develop their full potential”. But minority leaders are not impressed. “The BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami have not given any commitments to protect the minorities clearly in their manifesto document,” said Rana Dasgupta, adding that he has been facing death threats and has been in hiding for the past 18 months. ## Minority candidates fielded in polls by major parties While the BNP has nominated six minority candidates, Jamaat-e-Islami has nominated one in the elections for 300 seats. Political representation apart, there is also a sense of disquiet among the Hindu community that the Yunus government has not been able to protect or provide justice to the victims of violence. Almost on cue, two days before the elections, the interim government made an announcement on Tuesday that “12 people directly involved in the incident have already been arrested and investigations are underway”. Education Advisor Dr C R Abrar said all those responsible for this incident will be brought to justice through due legal process. Abrar had visited Das’s family on December 23, and had assured financial assistance for the family, including the construction of a mud house. In this context, the interim government said, “…25 lakh Taka will be allocated for the construction of a house according to the needs of the family, which will be implemented by the National Housing Authority. Along with this, cash financial assistance will also be provided. The government will give 10 lakh taka to Dipu Das’s father and wife and an FDR of 5 lakh taka will be made for the future security of his child.” ## ‘Dipu’s murder a brutal crime’ Education Advisor Abrar said, “The murder of Dipu Chandra Das is a brutal crime, which has no excuse and has no place in our society. The efforts made by the government to help his family are nothing compared to a life. The state will definitely ensure justice.” He said, “The way Dipu Das was killed by spreading communal madness is a shame for the entire nation. Only justice can free us from this shame. We, as a state and society, respect the peaceful right of people of all religions, ethnicities and communities to express their opinions — as long as it is done with respect for others. No one has the right to take the law into their own hands, even in moments of disagreement or objection.” In Dhakeshwari, meanwhile, two young men — one Hindu, the other Muslim — and a Hindu woman, all in their late teens and early 20s, have come from Rangpur, waiting for the temple to reopen at 4 pm. “We want to live together peacefully, we don’t want to divide society, we are friends…why is it tough for the politicians to understand this?” they said. Shubhajit Roy, Diplomatic Editor at The Indian Express, has been a journalist for more than 25 years now. Roy joined The Indian Express in October 2003 and has been reporting on foreign affairs for more than 17 years now. Based in Delhi, he has also led the National government and political bureau at The Indian Express in Delhi — a team of reporters who cover the national government and politics for the newspaper. He has got the Ramnath Goenka Journalism award for Excellence in Journalism ‘2016. He got this award for his coverage of the Holey Bakery attack in Dhaka and its aftermath. He also got the IIMCAA Award for the Journalist of the Year, 2022, (Jury’s special mention) for his coverage of the fall of Kabul in August 2021 — he was one of the few Indian journalists in Kabul and the only mainstream newspaper to have covered the Taliban’s capture of power in mid-August, 2021. ... Read More