Violence and misinformation fuel fears among Bangladeshi Hindus

Tanushree Shaha, a young Bangladeshi professional, expressed her anger over the recent mob violence targeting her family following the ousting of Sheikh Hasina from power. Shaha, like many other Hindus in Bangladesh, fears that her community may face further attacks.

These fears are being intensified by false rumours of additional attacks, which are spreading online and being amplified by media in India, where the majority of the population is Hindu.

Hindus, the largest minority in predominantly Muslim Bangladesh, have traditionally been supporters of Hasina’s party, the Awami League. After Hasina's sudden resignation and departure from the country on Monday, several Hindu families found themselves targeted by their neighbours.

"A group of people vandalised my uncle's shop," said Shaha, a 31-year-old manager of a handicrafts business in Dhaka. She described how the mob stole money from his cash till and emptied the shelves of his grocery store in Mymensingh. They also assaulted him and demanded more money to prevent future attacks.

Shaha was among more than 1,000 Hindus at a rally near Dhaka University, where protests that led to Hasina's ouster began last month. The group called on the interim government, led by Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus, to protect their community.

Shaha noted that hostility towards Hindus in Bangladesh is not new and tends to escalate during times of political upheaval. "Whenever a government falls or a problem arises, we are victimised by opportunists," she said.

Hindus make up about eight percent of Bangladesh’s population of 170 million, a significant decrease from 1947 when India and Pakistan were partitioned. Many Hindus fled during Bangladesh's 1971 liberation war against Pakistan, which claimed up to three million lives.

Over the past week, rights groups reported more than 200 incidents of attacks on minority communities, including Christians and Buddhists. "The incidents include attacking homes, vandalising shops and places of worship," said rights activist Rana Dasgupta in a video statement, adding that women were also abused.

Hundreds of Hindus have sought refuge at the Indian border since Hasina's departure.

In the chaotic aftermath of Hasina's exit, with police on strike, young students and local residents have taken up the task of maintaining order, forming neighbourhood watch groups and protecting temples.

"We are staying awake at night to catch the robbers," said Mohammed Miad, who was patrolling a Dhaka neighbourhood.

Student leaders met with the Hindu community on Friday to address their concerns and relay them to Yunus’s administration. Yunus emphasised the need for unity, saying, "Our responsibility is to build a new Bangladesh. Don’t differentiate by religion."

Misinformation online has fuelled further anxiety among Bangladeshi Hindus, with false reports of mass killings and violence being circulated, particularly from social media users in India. Many of these claims have been picked up by Indian media, which has been criticised for being out of touch with the reality on the ground.

While Hasina’s flight to India has strained relations between Bangladesh and its neighbour, there is no clear evidence that the violence against Hindus has significantly escalated as a result. Many of the attacks appear to have been opportunistic robberies targeting a vulnerable minority.

Despite the spread of misinformation, fear and anger persist within the Hindu community. "After the fall of the dictatorship, we were supposed to hold a victory rally," said 20-year-old student Moumita Adhikari at the Dhaka protest. "So why are we protesting here? Aren’t we citizens of this country?"

(With inputs from AFP)