Last Updated on January 29, 2026 9:11 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
With less than two weeks remaining for Bangladesh’s 12th general election, religious and ethnic minorities continue to live in fear and insecurity, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council said on Thursday, warning that the situation could discourage voter turnout.
Addressing a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club in Dhaka, the organisation’s acting general secretary, Manindra Kumar Nath, said minorities were keen to participate in the election but remained deeply concerned about the safety of their lives, livelihoods, property and dignity. “If minority voters feel discouraged from going to polling centres under such circumstances, the responsibility cannot be placed on them,” Nath said.
According to the Unity Council, communal violence has continued into this year, following last year’s pattern. It claimed that at least 42 incidents of communal violence, including 11 killings, were reported across the country between January 1 and January 27. The organisation warned that the February 12 election is likely to be held in an atmosphere of fear, exacerbated by what it described as rising “mob violence”. Minority and indigenous communities, particularly women and youth, are experiencing acute insecurity, it said. Many minority business owners are unable to run their establishments normally, while some families are being forced to abandon their homes.
The Unity Council also criticised the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ voting mechanism in the upcoming referendum, alleging that it effectively removes secularism from the state’s founding principles. It accused the government and the Election Commission of openly campaigning in favour of the move, calling it biased and unfortunate. “Bangladesh’s constitution, founded on secularism, equality and non-discrimination, is now under serious threat,” the organisation said in its statement. “This will further marginalise minorities and undermine their equal rights as citizens.” Ensuring that minority voters can reach polling stations safely and cast their votes freely remains the biggest challenge ahead of the election, the Unity Council said.