Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian body has claimed 44 members of minority communities were killed in 40 incidents during first six months of 2026. The group said it recorded 257 incidents of communal violence, including attacks on homes, businesses and religious sites, along with land grabbing, violence against women and alleged torture.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has claimed that 44 members of religious minority communities were killed in 40 separate incidents across the country during the first six months of 2026. The organisation released its findings at a press conference at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Monday, presenting data covering the period from January 1 to June 30. According to the council, it recorded a total of 257 incidents of communal violence during the six-month period.
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Council reports attacks on religious sites
The council said its findings included 62 incidents involving attacks on places of worship, desecration of idols, looting and arson. It also reported 15 cases involving the occupation or attempted occupation of land belonging to places of worship, according to a report by Daily Star.
The organisation claimed that religious sites and idols were among the targets of attacks during the period, along with homes and businesses belonging to members of minority communities.
47 incidents involved homes and businesses
The council said it recorded 47 incidents involving attacks, vandalism, looting and arson targeting homes and business establishments.
It also reported 21 cases involving the forcible seizure of land, homes and businesses.
The organisation further claimed that 42 incidents involved attacks, death threats or torture, while nine cases involved arrests and alleged torture based on what it described as false blasphemy allegations.
The council also listed six incidents under other forms of alleged communal violence.
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Women among those affected
The report also highlighted cases of violence against women.
According to the council, five incidents during the first six months of the year involved torture, rape or gang rape of women.
It separately reported 10 incidents involving allegations of abduction, extortion or torture.
The organisation said its data also covered other alleged forms of violence, including enforced disappearance, workplace discrimination and the forcible occupation of homes, land and businesses.
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Council compares 2026 figures with previous period
The organisation also presented a wider comparison covering 23 months.
This included the five-month period from August 5 to December 31, 2024, the full year of 2025 and the first six months of 2026.
According to the council’s analysis, 2,963 incidents were recorded across the 23-month period. It claimed that 73.7 per cent of these incidents took place during the five months following August 5, 2024, which it described as a period of large-scale mass violence.
The council said 17.6 per cent of the total incidents were recorded during 2025, while 8.7 per cent occurred during the first six months of 2026.
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Council says violence has declined from 2024
While presenting the figures, the council said the overall pattern of violence recorded during the first half of 2026 remained broadly similar to that seen in 2025.
However, its comparative data suggested that the number of reported incidents was significantly lower than during the five-month period in 2024.
The organisation said the scale of violence in 2024 was nearly 4.2 times higher than in 2025.
It also claimed that almost 70 per cent of all incidents recorded during the 23-month period involved attacks on homes and business establishments, while about 10 per cent targeted religious places of worship.
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Minority council raises concerns over safety
The council said its findings showed that members of religious minority communities continued to face different forms of violence and pressure.
It said the alleged attacks were not limited to one type of incident, but included killings, threats, attacks on religious sites, damage to property, land disputes and violence against women.
According to the organisation’s analysis, an average of one person was killed for every 21 reported incidents during the period covered by its data. It also said nearly one in every 10 incidents involved an attack on a religious structure.
The council’s claims were presented as part of its ongoing monitoring of communal violence in Bangladesh. The figures released at the press conference reflect the organisation’s own documentation and assessment of reported incidents.
(With ANI inputs)