Bangladesh Says Most Minority-Related Incidents in 2025 Were Criminal, Not Communal

Dhaka | January 19, 2026 The interim government of Bangladesh on Monday said that most incidents involving minority communities in the country during 2025 were criminal in nature and not driven by communal motives. The statement was issued by the Press Wing of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, amid growing international concern over the safety of minorities in Bangladesh. According to the government, a year-long review of police records showed that 645 incidents involving minority communities were reported across the country between January and December 2025. While acknowledging that every such incident is serious, the government said the data clearly indicates that the majority of cases were linked to general crime or social disputes rather than religious hatred. Out of the total incidents, only 71 cases were found to have communal elements. The statement detailed that these 71 communal cases included 38 incidents of temple vandalism, eight cases of arson, one murder, one theft, and 23 other incidents such as threats to break idols, provocative social media posts, and damage to religious structures. Police registered cases in 50 of these incidents and made arrests in all of them, while preventive or investigative steps were taken in the remaining cases. The remaining 574 incidents, the government said, were connected to issues unrelated to religion. These included neighbourhood disputes, land conflicts, thefts, personal rivalries, cases of rape, and a large number of unnatural deaths. Police action was taken in most of these cases, including hundreds of arrests and the filing of unnatural death reports. The statement came days after India, on January 9, urged Bangladesh to act “swiftly and firmly” against attacks on minorities, especially Hindus. India’s reaction followed reports of killings and violence against Hindu individuals in recent weeks. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal described the pattern of attacks as “disturbing” and said attempts to explain them away as personal or political disputes only increase fear among minorities. The issue has also drawn attention ahead of Bangladesh’s general elections scheduled for February 12. Earlier this month, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council alleged that communal violence was rising as elections approached and claimed that such attacks were aimed at stopping minority voters from voting freely. The forum said it recorded 51 incidents of communal violence in December 2025 alone. Reiterating its stand, the interim government said ensuring safety and justice for all citizens—Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Christians and others—remains both a constitutional and moral duty. It added that the report does not deny challenges but seeks to present an evidence-based picture of crime trends affecting minorities. Relations between India and Bangladesh have remained tense since the interim government took charge in August 2024, with New Delhi repeatedly raising concerns over minority safety, especially that of Hindus. Bangladesh Govt Says Most Minority Incidents in 2025 Were Crimes, Not Communal Attacks The interim government of Bangladesh has said that most incidents involving minority communities in 2025 were linked to general crime and social disputes, not communal hatred. In a statement issued on Monday by the Press Wing of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, the government said official police data shows a clear difference between criminal cases and incidents driven by religion. According to the review, 645 incidents involving minorities were reported across Bangladesh last year. Out of these, only 71 cases were found to have communal elements, including temple vandalism, arson, threats and one murder. Police action was taken in these cases, with arrests made and investigations carried out. The government said the remaining 574 incidents were related to issues such as land disputes, theft, personal rivalry, rape and unnatural deaths, which affect people across communities. It stressed that while every crime is serious, the data shows that most cases were not motivated by religious hostility. The statement comes days after India raised concerns over attacks on minorities in Bangladesh and urged strong action. With elections scheduled on February 12, minority safety has become a sensitive issue. The interim government said protecting all citizens, regardless of faith, remains its constitutional duty.