With the Awami League barred from contesting and Sheikh Hasina calling for a boycott from exile in India, minority voters feel politically orphaned. Some leaders are now demanding reserved seats or special security arrangements.

With just days until the February 12 national election, religious minority leaders are sounding the alarm over a surge in attacks they fear will escalate into widespread violence at polling stations. Hindus, Christians, Buddhists and indigenous communities say the interim government has failed to provide adequate protection, leaving millions frightened and uncertain whether they will even be able to vote safely.

A Nation Still Recovering from Upheaval

The election is the first since the student-led uprising in August 2024 that forced Sheikh Hasina to flee after 15 years in power. An interim administration headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus promised reforms, justice and inclusivity. Yet for the country’s roughly 13–14 million Hindus (about 8 per cent of the population), plus smaller Christian, Buddhist and tribal groups, the “new Bangladesh” has brought renewed insecurity.

Since Hasina’s ouster, minority homes, temples and businesses have been targeted repeatedly. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) documented more than 2,184 incidents in late 2024 alone and another 522 communal attacks in 2025, including murders, rapes, land grabs and arson against places of worship.

The government’s own figures for 2025 acknowledge 645 attacks on minorities but insist only 71 were “communally charged.” Officials maintain most cases are ordinary crimes or politically motivated, not driven by religious hatred. Minority leaders reject that distinction.

“Elections have become a kind of torture for minorities,” said Subroto Chowdhury, a Hindu Supreme Court lawyer. “Torture, harassment, threats, attacks on homes, rapes – these happen before and after every election.”

A Killing That Shocked the Nation

The December 2025 murder of 27-year-old Hindu garment worker Dipu Chandra Das in Gazipur crystallised the fear. Accused by Muslim colleagues of blasphemy, Das was beaten to death by a mob, his body hung from a tree and set on fire. The gruesome images circulated widely online. His parents’ anguish and subsequent protests in Dhaka underscored a broader pattern: impunity.

Human rights groups say dozens of similar killings have occurred since 2024, with perpetrators rarely facing swift justice. Land grabbing, sexual violence against women from minority communities and destruction of temples remain daily realities for many families in rural districts.

Jamaat’s Resurgence Deepens Anxiety

The re-emergence of Jamaat-e-Islami – once banned under Hasina – has added to minority unease. The Islamist party, now campaigning openly and polling strongly alongside the BNP, has nominated a Hindu candidate and promised minority protection. Many Hindus, however, remember Jamaat’s historical role in 1971 atrocities and fear its growing influence could legitimise hard-line rhetoric.

Bishop Subroto Boniface Gomes, auxiliary bishop of Dhaka, warned that the resurgence of Islamist parties “could create difficulties” for Christians and other minorities. “We have always defended the need to preserve pluralism and democracy,” he said.

Government Rejects “Communal” Label

Yunus administration officials insist they are taking the concerns seriously. Police have arrested suspects in high-profile cases, and the Election Commission has promised tight security at polling centres. Press secretary Shafiqul Alam has emphasised that “all communities will be able to vote freely.”

Yet at a January 29 press conference in Dhaka, BHBCUC leaders accused the government of downplaying attacks and ignoring killings, rapes and land seizures that occur outside temples or churches. In January 2026 alone, the council recorded 42 fresh incidents.

Holy Cross Father Liton Gomes of the Catholic Bishops’ Justice and Peace Commission described a nationwide “state of panic.” “People cannot trust everyone,” he said. “Minorities want to vote, but everything depends on the security of the polling centres.”

Echoes of Past Elections

Older Hindus recall similar violence in 2001 and 2008, when supporters of the BNP-Jamaat alliance targeted minority neighbourhoods after Awami League defeats. Many minorities have traditionally voted for the Awami League, making them easy targets once that party is sidelined.

With the Awami League barred from contesting and Sheikh Hasina calling for a boycott from exile in India, minority voters feel politically orphaned. Some leaders are now demanding reserved seats or special security arrangements.

Indigenous communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and elsewhere report ongoing land disputes and fear renewed clashes. Christian villages speak of churches being watched and families afraid to travel at night.

Will Minorities Stay Away from the Polls?

Analysts warn that fear could suppress minority turnout, undermining the election’s legitimacy. In some Hindu-majority villages, families are already discussing whether to stay indoors on election day.

Shantu Barua, a Buddhist academic at Dhaka University, voiced a simple but profound desire: “We want to live as equal citizens, not as people permanently labelled by our identity.”

As the countdown to February 12 continues, the question hanging over Bangladesh is whether the interim government can deliver the security and fairness it promised – or whether the country’s most vulnerable citizens will once again pay the price for political change.