Bangladesh’s Religious Minorities Want Peace Amid Country’…… | News & Reporting

Bangladesh’s religious minorities have reported looting, arson, and vandalization following Sheikh Hasina’s abrupt resignation as prime minister last month.

Thousands of young people first took to the streets in June to protest a court ruling that reinstated a civil service quota system many found discriminatory and exclusive. But after Hasina insulted protesters, demonstrations escalated into violence.

Since then, rioters have attacked the parliamentary building, the residences of the prime minister and other political leaders, and numerous other establishments, including ones belonging to certain religious minorities. The Catholic charity Caritas Bangladesh stated:

According to different local, national, and international news media, as well as reports from local communities, more than one hundred houses, religious institutions, and commercial centers belonging to Awami League leaders and religious minorities have been attacked. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council [BHBCUC] reported that hundreds of families have been attacked, faced sabotage activities, and received death threats from miscreants.

Caritas also stated its own regional office in southwestern Bangladesh was attacked by more than 100 rioters on August 4, noting that one of the mob’s leaders told the group after about 15 minutes that this was not the intended target.

On social media, many unverified reports went viral of mobs destroying a church in the Nilphamari district in northern Bangladesh and some Christian homes in Khulna, the country’s third-largest city.

BHBCUC president Neem Chandra Bhowmik said that his organization had received reports over the phone of “vandalism, intimidation and threats from 52 of the 64 districts.”

In response, the BHBCUC has organized efforts to demand peace, justice, and the arrests of those initiating violence against the minority communities in Bangladesh.

While Christian organizations in Bangladesh affirm that they have recorded data on the churches and Christian establishments targeted, they have refused to publish it, fearing backlash, one leader told CT.

Few Christian groups have officially expressed their solidarity for peace, said Asa Kain, general superintendent of the Bangladesh Assemblies of God (AG), who added that the AG had “conducted peace rallies and prayed for the nation in public” and that some Christian nonprofits, such as HEED, are providing medical help to those wounded in the attacks. When asked whether Christian students also participated in the protests, Kain explained that many might have joined with their own groups but that he did not know whether they were on the streets or active only on social media.

Christians make up less than 0.5 percent (under a million) of Bangladesh’s 174 million people, according to the 2022 census. Hindus, which comprise 8 percent, have suffered even greater losses. One leader said that up to 300 Hindu homes and 20 temples had been vandalized. Another said that attacks on his community had killed five people.

Minority communities across the country suffered after the police went on strike following a mob attack against them that left nearly four dozen officers dead and 500 injured.

Acknowledging “stray incidents” against the Christian community, though clarifying that no AG churches have been affected, Kain said, “These incidents were expected because there was no police force at work [to protect the minority community] for six days.”

An August 5 statement from the Church of Bangladesh did not mention any violence against Christians but asked for the “safety and protection of all citizens, especially those who are most vulnerable” and for prayer for those who had “lost loved ones.” It also noted the challenges of limited internet access and said that “the curfew and limited access to resources have made daily life extremely difficult for many.”

The president of the Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha, Christopher Adhikari also expressed concerns about the effects of the “long-term blockades and curfews” on the country’s day laborers.

John Karmakar, general secretary of the Bangladesh Baptist Church Sangha, urged people to “continue praying for peace and justice” in the country.

In a statement, the National Council of Churches in Bangladesh pointed to instances of vandalism targeting churches and minority offices and called for continued prayers for the protection of minority groups.

Muhammad Yunus, who was sworn in as head of Bangladesh’s interim government after Hasina fled to India, met with distressed Hindu community members on August 13. He subsequently promised to set up a hotline for Bangladeshi minorities to report any attack and receive swift action. On Friday, Yunus assured India’s prime minister Narendra Modi that the government would ensure the protection and safety of Hindus and other minority groups.

Martha Das, the general secretary of the National Christian Fellowship of Bangladesh, asked the church to pray for those who had lost loved ones and for a return to “law-and-order.”

“Pray that this interim government will govern with integrity and equality,” she said. “All the advisers in the government should stay healthy and work to build a real new Bangladesh.”

Despite being a small minority, Christians in Bangladesh have been an active community, with missionary activities dating back to the late 18th century that established churches, schools, and hospitals. While generally coexisting peacefully with the Muslim majority and the Hindu minority, Christians have faced periods of tension and occasional violence, including church bombings in the early 2000s.

The community has experienced significant growth at times, particularly among tribal and Hindu groups. Christian organizations have also been heavily involved in relief and development work, contributing to Bangladesh’s social services and national development. Although their relationship with the government has varied, Christians have often been welcomed for their contributions in health care, education, and agriculture. Christian leaders have worked to integrate more fully into Bangladeshi society while maintaining their religious identity.

Despite this, Bangladesh is ranked number 26 on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List, largely due to backlash that Christian converts face from their former Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, or tribal communities. In April 2023, insurgents killed eight tribal Christians in Chittagong.

The protests in Bangladesh stem from the economic discontent of many of the country’s young people. (Nearly 50 million Bangladeshis are between the ages of 10 and 24.) Despite the country’s economic growth, many young Bangladeshis have found it challenging to find work, and university graduates face higher unemployment rates than their less-educated peers.

On July 1, the High Court reinstated a quota (abolished in 2018) that guaranteed 30 percent of civil service jobs would go to descendants of those who had fought for the country’s independence. The students demanded an end to the quota that favored the allies of the ruling Awami League party, a group originally composed of those who had led the independence movement.

Despite having led the government that had overturned the quota, Hasina defended its existence.

“Why is there so much resentment towards freedom fighters? If the grandchildren of freedom fighters don’t get quota benefits, should the grandchildren of Razakars?” Hasina said.

(Razakar is a slur for those who colluded with the East Pakistani volunteer force during the war for independence and participated in its atrocities, including murder, rape, and property destruction, and are thus seen as traitors.)

Following the prime minister’s remarks, the protesters took to the streets, and soon security forces and members of the Chhatra League (the student wing of Hasina’s Awami League) opened fire, killing hundreds of students. The government harshly cracked down, shutting down internet and phone access and authorizing the military to shoot on sight. As of August 10, a total of 300 people had died and thousands had been injured since the protests began.