 "A man walks past a portrait of Sheikh Hasina, in Dhaka. It's been a year since Hasina has been ousted from power and she has been in exile. File image/AFP")
Bangladesh has been witnessing numerous cases of violence against Hindus since Sheikh Hasina’s exit from the country last year in August. Bangladesh has been gripped by political uncertainty, economic anxiety and deep questions about the future of its democracy.
Talking about the rampant targeted attacks against Hindus, Hasina told Firstpost that these cases are “not random acts of violence” and are “part of a deliberate campaign by extremist elements.”
Living in exile at an undisclosed location in Delhi, Hasina spoke with a blend of defiance and introspection about the fall of her government, the subsequent violence, and the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus. She disputed the widely accepted portrayal of the events as a popular uprising, accused her rivals of empowering extremist groups, and warned of a targeted campaign against Bangladesh’s minorities, especially Hindus, since her departure.
‘Religious minorities are living in fear’
“Under my government, we made strenuous efforts to protect all citizens regardless of their faith. Bangladesh was founded on secular, democratic principles that respected diversity. Now, religious minorities are living in fear, their temples are being attacked, their businesses destroyed, and their families threatened,” Hasina told Firstpost.
She added that the interim government’s failure to protect religious minorities in Bangladesh is not “just negligence” but that the Yunus administration is “complicit” in perpetrating violence against Hindus.
Hasina further said, “When you align yourself with extremist forces to gain power, you cannot then act surprised when those forces pursue their agenda of intolerance and violence. The international community must not remain silent while Bangladesh’s Hindu population and other minorities face this persecution.”
Violence against Hindus
Hasina’s ouster from the country was followed by widespread violence, especially against the Hindu community residing in Bangladesh.
From setting their houses on fire to murdering a Hindu councillor and arresting a Hindu religious leader, Bangladesh has become a hotbed of religious persecution under the Yunus government.
Earlier this year. Bangladesh’s largest minority organisation, Bangladesh Hindu Bouddho Christian Oikyo Parishad, said that the first half of 2025 saw 258 cases of communal violence.
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View All“The government has denied occurrence of communal violence by describing them as political incidents. As a result, the perpetrators of these crimes have become emboldened increasing the insecurity of the minority religious communities,” the group said.