KATHMANDU: Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries, with over 50 ethnic minority groups—the second most in South Asia. In a sense, four prominent religious groups live in Bangladesh. Since the inception of Bangladesh’s independence, people from these different communities have lived peacefully. Among 170 million people, about 91.04% are Muslims.

Despite that, the other 8.96% are living here without demeaning themselves as a minority. Article 6 of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh states that “All the citizens of Bangladesh are recognised as Bangladeshi, not as Bengali,” which clearly ensures equal opportunity, basic rights, and living standards for each citizen—whether they are Muslims, Hindus, Christians, or Buddhists—it doesn’t matter.

According to the Global Peace Index, Bangladesh is ahead of the United States of America on the list. Isn’t that surprising? 7.95% of Bangladesh’s population are Hindus—the largest minority group. Bangladesh has often been criticised, particularly from the Hindu community’s perspective.

However, the people of Bangladesh believe that Hindus are living here most safely, along with other minorities. Communal harmony has always existed in Bangladesh. But some occurrences raise serious questions about this harmony. Again, propaganda often makes these issues sensational, which is enough to manipulate Bangladesh’s image. It is a fact that, for political advantage, some miscreants try to create dissension between the Muslim and Hindu communities.

As Bangladesh’s biggest neighbour, India—a Hindu-majority country—has played a significant role in shaping this communal disharmony in its own way. Due to political reasons, they do not hesitate to raise complaints with the United States of America so that Bangladesh feels pressure and obeys India’s hegemony.

Exaggerated false news circulated by Indian media is another crucial weapon used to damage Bangladesh’s international image. Now the debate is: Is Bangladesh repressing its minorities, especially Hindus?

Actually, Bangladesh has always been very friendly to its citizens.

There are indeed incidents involving minorities in Bangladesh, especially against Hindu minorities. After August 5, 2024, the number of allegations significantly increased. Many countries, including the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and organizations such as the European Union, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch—and particularly the Indian media—exaggerated the issues, creating a severe image crisis for Bangladesh.

The fact is that the previous Awami League-led government used Hindu minorities as a political trump card to meet demands from the Indian side.

Ironically, the Awami League-led government played a divide-and-rule game between Muslim-led political parties and the Hindu community. This is why political enigmas among minorities existed between 2009 and 2024, despite Hindu minorities often being backed by the government and India.

However, the misinformation and propaganda circulated by Indian media against Bangladesh have made the relations between the two countries very shaky. From the Bangladeshi perspective, the interim government repeatedly upholds its stance that the issue has been exaggerated for geographical strategic advantage.

A recent incident may help analyze the issue more deeply. In November 2024, the spokesman of ISKCON was arrested for anti-state acts after allegedly disrespecting the national flag of Bangladesh—a response that was well within the state’s authority to protect its sovereignty. However, the way the situation unfolded was not ideal for Bangladesh. Before the High Court bench in Chattogram, a lawyer was assassinated by members of the radical Hindu ISKCON community.

Even chauvinists from India’s Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) attacked the Agartala Assistant High Commission of Bangladesh and the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata. India’s response in that case was questionable.

According to Article 22 of the Vienna Convention, “No one can enter the premises of an external country’s mission without the consent of the Head of the Mission, not even local fire service personnel.” Yet, in front of local police, a mob attacked both sub-missions’ premises. In this case, India should be ashamed of itself. Instead, it continues to express concern about Bangladesh’s internal issues.

Some footage aired by Republic Bangla, an Indian TV channel, allegedly showed the destruction of Hindu idols in Bangladesh. In reality, the incident had occurred in West Bengal in 2023, further fanning tensions. Even the Hindus of West Bengal boycotted Republic Bangla, reflecting the obvious reactions to the Hindu-Muslim dichotomy.

Apart from that, many incidents have been overhyped and should not have been sensationalized. At the same time, it would also be wrong not to admit that there have indeed been some isolated incidents carried out by Islamic extremists. No government in the world can guarantee 100% prevention of such chaos.

A report by the Centre for the Study of Society and Secularism (CSS) claims that there were 59 communal riots in India in 2024—an 84% increase from 2023.

In the same year, the United Christian Forum (UCF) documented 834 confirmed cases of harassment or violence against Christians. India Hate Lab reported 1,165 incidents of in-person hate speech in 2024—an increase of 74.4% from 2023.

In those cases, Christians and Muslims were the targets of more than 75% of the speeches. India even passed two controversial laws—the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC)—to preserve national identity, excluding Muslims and Bengali-speaking people from neighboring countries.

The recent amendment of the Waqf Act and the revocation of Kashmir’s special constitutional status further illustrate the level of discrimination against minorities in India. But has Bangladesh ever raised any questions about such irregularities in neighboring states?

In Bangladesh, there is no evidence of any law being passed or enforced against Hindus or other minorities.

The Constitution of Bangladesh (Articles 2A and 41) guarantees freedom of religion for all citizens. The government operates the Hindu Religious Welfare Trust, which provides financial support for religious, cultural, and social activities within the Hindu community.

During Durga Puja, the government deploys law enforcement personnel to ensure the security of Puja mandaps. Notably, last year, Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami guarded Hindu Durga Puja mandaps to avoid any sort of casualties. This gesture truly demonstrated how committed the people of Bangladesh are to countering the allegations against them.

Lastly, Bangladesh is a safe home for all its citizens, equally. This culture of inclusion will strengthen communal harmony across all segments of Bangladeshi society—as is hoped and expected.