A report by Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance has highlighted the persecution of religious minorities in Bangladesh in the year 2022. The report says that between January and December last year 154 persons belonging to religious minority communities including Hindus were murdered.
The organization, also known as Bangladesh Jatiyo Hindu Mahajot, released the annual report on atrocities against Bangladeshi minorities at a press conference on January 5 in Dhaka. The report said 39 minority women were raped of whom 27 were gang raped and 14 were murdered after being raped. Furthermore, in 2022, 62 people hailing from religious minority communities went missing, 849 received death threats, murder attempts were made on 424 persons and 360 were left wounded in these attacks.
The organization’s Secretary General Gobinda Chandra Pramanik stated that 89,990 acres of minorities’ land were grabbed and continue to be occupied. Additionally, 572 families were evicted from their homes in 2022. 445 families were forced to leave the country. Hindus, Christians, Buddhists and other minorities suffered a total financial loss of Taka 220 crore 89 lakhs.
According to the report, 319 families and temples were looted, 173 businesses were vandalized, and the police registered 519 cases of arson and 891 cases of attacks on the residences of minorities.
“The Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance also pointed out that there have been 128 instances of temple attacks, 72 cases of idol theft and 481 cases of vandalism in the last year. It added that 152 religious minorities were forcibly converted in 2022 and attempts for conversion were made on 40 others”, notes OpIndia.
791 minorities were arrested on false blasphemy charges. The organization highlighted that an environment of intolerance was created in the Islamic nation and Hindus haven’t been able to experience real freedom in the country. It has demanded 60 reserved seats and a separate electoral system in the country’s parliament. Additionally, it has called for the creation of the Ministry of Minority Affairs to prevent instances of violence against Hindus and other religious minorities.
(Featured Image Source: OpIndia)
