'154 dead, 39 raped, 152 converted': Disturbing statistics of atrocities against minorities in Bangladesh

The annual report of atrocities on minorities in Bangladesh said that about 319 families and temples were looted while 173 businesses were vandalised in 2022.

New Delhi, Jan 07: The voices of atrocities against the religious minorities, especially Hindus in Bangladesh are being heard loud in Dhaka. In a latest testament to that over 154 religious minorities, including Hindus, were killed in the country in 2022.

The Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance revealed that 39 women belonging to the minority communities were raped (27 of them were gang-raped). About 14 of the victims were killed after committing rape and one
lakh 95, 991 families have insecurity.

In the written statement, the Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance said that 424 people of the country's minority were tried to be killed in the last one year. 62 people are missing. 849 people received death threats and 360 people were wounded and injured.

There were 953 organised attacks and 127 people were abducted and 27 were attempted.

The annual report submitted by the alliance stated that 445 families have been forced to leave the country. 89,990 acres of land belonging to minority communities have been encroached upon. 572 families were evicted from the homestead, 3 thousand 694 families attempted to be evicted, 35, 800 families were threatened with eviction.

6,550 acres of land belonging to Mro, Tanchangya, Santal and Tripura hill tribes and 2 thousand 440 acres of land belonging to plains Hindus have been encroached upon. 15,115 families are threatened with emigration.

Land of 51 temples has been encroached. There were 128 incidents of attack, vandalism and arson on temples, 481 idol vandalism and 72 idol thefts. 27 crore 46 lakh 33 thousand taka has been extorted. The total loss is 220 crore 89 lakh taka.

The report has been prepared by verifying the information published in various media of the country from January 2022 to December 31.

55 people were tried to rape. 152 persons have been converted. Attempts were made to convert 40 people.
There were 179 cases of desecration of religious institutions and 129 cases of obstruction of religious ceremonies. Beef was thrown at a family, desecrating 333 people by eating religiously forbidden beef.

The Bangladesh National Hindu Mahazot believes that due to the degradation of democratic values, suppression of dissent and lack of practicing tolerance, an intolerant and hateful environment is being created in the country.

The organisation claimed that there were 127 cases of injury to religious sentiments. 791 people have been arrested, dismissed, dismissed and jailed in false cases. 1 thousand 657 families have been blocked.

The Secretary General of the Hindu Mahazot said that Bangladesh has become independent but the Hindu community of the country has never tasted freedom.

Therefore, to stop violence and torture on minorities and to ensure their representation, he demanded re-establishment of 60 reserved seats and separate election system in the National Parliament, establishment of the
Ministry of Minority Affairs and the creation of a post of Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister to be reserved for the minority community.

Attacks not new

Hindus comprise 8.5 per cent of Bangladesh's 170 million population, while Muslims account for 90 per cent. Since 2013, at least 3,600 such attacks have taken place in Bangladesh, according to Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), a Bangladeshi human rights organisation.

"The reason behind the attacks is to drive away minorities from their homes, to minimise the minority population of Bangladesh," Rana Dasgupta, general secretary of the nonprofit Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC), has been quoted as saying by the German news website DW.

In Bangladesh, the Hindus continue to face discrimination and are vulnerable due to rising extremism and violence. The very famous Sonargaon Temple in the Narayanganj district was destroyed by radical Islamists on 6 February 2010.

A 2017 report had said during that year 107 Hindus were killed while 31 were victims of enforced disappearance. Further 782 Hindus had been forced to leave the country. 25 Hindu women were raped while 235 temples have been vandalised. In all, there were at least 6,437 atrocities that had been committed against the Hindus.