The interim government of Bangladesh has claimed in a statement on Monday, January 19, that the attacks on minorities in the country in the past few months were "criminal in nature," but were non-communal, PTI reported.
What has the Yunus government said?
New Delhi had, on January 9, asked Dhaka to deal with the attacks on members of minority communities in a swift and firm manner, and said that the attempts of Bangladesh to push the blame of the attacks on other, unrelated reasons were "troubling."
"While every incident is a matter of concern, the data presents a clear and evidence-based picture: the overwhelming majority of cases were criminal in nature rather than communal," the statement issued by the interim government Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus's Press Wing read.
Between January and December 2025, 645 incidents linked to minority communities were recorded across Bangladesh, the interim government said after reviewing police records for a full year. The details were shared in a statement posted on the Chief Advisor's social media account.
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The government said 71 of these cases had communal angles. These included 38 incidents of temple vandalism, eight cases of arson, one murder, one theft, and 23 other acts such as threats to break idols, provocative posts on social media, and damage to worship pavilions. Police cases were registered in 50 incidents, with arrests made in the same number, while preventive or investigative steps were taken in 21 other cases, PTI reported.
"While all crimes are serious and demand accountability, the data demonstrates that most incidents involving minority victims were not driven by communal hostility, but by broader criminal and social factors that affect citizens across religious and ethnic lines," the statement said.
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State of minorities in Bangladesh
Bangladesh's minority population includes around 13.13 million Hindus, who make up about 7.95 per cent of the country's total population, according to the 2022 census. Buddhists number around 1.01 million, or 0.61 per cent. Christians are estimated at nearly 5,00,000, while followers of other religions, including Sikh and Animist communities, are around 2,00,000, or 0.12 per cent, PTI reported.
Earlier this month, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council said communal violence is rising sharply as the country moves closer to the general elections. In a statement, the council warned of an alarming trend ahead of the parliamentary polls, which are scheduled to be held on February 12.
