UK report downplays minority persecution in Bangladesh

New Delhi: A report released by the
UK Home Office
has claimed that the minorities in Bangladesh are unlikely to face persecution from state and non-state actors. The view contrasts sharply with the violence and the anti-minority stance adhered to by people allegedly close to the caretaker government in the country after
Sheikh Hasina
was ousted from power last year.
The report, released this month, also claimed that people belonging to minority communities are unlikely to be arrested and charged for actions that can be construed as an insult to Islam.
After Hasina resigned and fled her country in August last year, there have been several instances of violence targeting people of minority communities, especially the Hindus. India has been raising the issue of violence and persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh at the highest level.
The UK report claimed that religious minorities can practice their faith freely throughout Bangladesh without harassment. It, however, said that there have been instances of sporadic communal violence, most recently tied to political upheaval, which continue to result in injuries, assaults, deaths and damage to property.
Dhaka-based sources told ET that the minority communities in Bangladesh have been under duress ever since the Awami League was ousted from power, and there have been numerous instances of harassment, contrary to what the UK Home Office has claimed. During the August 2024
political unrest in Bangladesh
, members of minority religious groups faced harassment and violence. However, according to the report, many cases were politically motivated rather than based on religious differences.

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