AMN WEB DESK
The majority of the cases of attacks on minorities carried out since August 4, 2024, were politically motivated in nature, according to a report filed by Bangladesh police on Saturday.
The Bangladesh Hindu Bouddha Christian Unity Council has claimed that a total of 1,769 communal attacks and acts of vandalism took place against minorities in Bangladesh. The Council said those attacks, acts of vandalism, and incidents of looting included 2,010 incidents on the lives, properties, and places of worship of the minority community.
Bangladesh police have collected the list of allegations prepared by the Council. The police have argued that the majority of the attacks on minorities were not communal ones but politically motivated.
A report by the police has claimed that of the 1,769 allegations, police have so far registered 62 cases on the merits of the claims. At least 35 culprits have been arrested based on the findings of the investigations.
“The police probe revealed that 1,234 incidents were political in nature and 20 incidents were communal. At least 161 claims were found to be false or untrue,” the report has claimed.
“According to the claims of the Council, 1,452 incidents—or 82.8 percent of total claims—took place on August 5, 2024, when Hasina was ousted from power. At least 65 incidents took place on August 4 and 70 incidents on August 6,” said the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing on Saturday.
The report also claimed, “Apart from the Council claims, police have also received 134 allegations of communal violence from August 5 to January 8, 2025. Police responded to all those complaints with utmost importance. At least 53 cases have been filed over those complaints. A total of 65 offenders have been arrested in these cases”.
The police report said all aggrieved persons have been requested to lodge complaints with the police. Proper security of the aggrieved people has been ensured. Regular cases, general diaries, and other appropriate lawful measures have been taken according to the findings of the investigations.
The police report claimed that the government would compensate the victims of such attacks. “The Interim Government has a zero-tolerance policy towards any communal attacks in the country. Police have been ordered to arrest the culprits,” the report has stated.