Bangladesh Police Responds to Claims Made by Minority Groups at Press Conference

Dhaka, 15 July 2025 — During a press conference on 10 July, held under the banner of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and Minority Unity Alliance, it was alleged that 27 individuals had been killed between January and June 2025, alongside 2,442 incidents of communal attacks and violence over the past 11 months.

Bangladesh Police has thoroughly reviewed the 27 reported deaths. Of these, 22 were registered as regular murder cases, while five were recorded as unnatural deaths. None were connected to any kind of communal violence. Here are the circumstances surrounding these fatalities:

•⁠ ⁠Land disputes in two cases (one involving an uncle killed by his nephew, another in a clash between cousins)
•⁠ ⁠Financial disputes in two cases (including one linked to drug-related dues)
•⁠ ⁠Robbery or dacoity, accounting for seven deaths
•⁠ ⁠Targeted killing of one person by a rival terrorist group
•⁠ ⁠A quarrel over the purchase of a watermelon resulting in one fatality
•⁠ ⁠Three suicides by hanging
•⁠ ⁠Eleven deaths where bodies were recovered under various circumstances remain under investigation

To date, 48 individuals have been arrested, 15 have surrendered, and 18 have given confessional statements under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Investigations confirm that none of these deaths were motivated by communal reasons.

The press conference also cited 20 incidents involving sexual harassment, rape, or gang rape. Police registered cases in 16 of these and arrested 25 suspects. No complaints were filed in three cases.
•⁠ ⁠In the alleged rape of an indigenous woman in Rajshahi, investigations found no evidence of rape, and the incident was linked to a prior dispute between the accused and the complainant’s family
•⁠ ⁠In the alleged gang rape in Magura, no complaint was filed, and preliminary police enquiries found no supporting evidence.

The organisations further claimed that the majority of violence occurred between 4 and 20 August 2024, citing 2,010 incidents, including 1,769 communal attacks and assaults. Bangladesh Police verified 1,457 of these incidents across 56 districts.
•⁠ ⁠Of the 1,769 incidents, 62 cases were formally filed, and 951 were logged as general diaries (GD), meaning a complaint was officially recorded but no formal criminal case has yet been filed
•⁠ ⁠35 individuals were arrested in connection with these cases
•⁠ ⁠Investigations revealed that 1,452 incidents (82.8%) occurred on 5 August 2024, with 1,234 linked to political disputes. 161 incidents could not be substantiated
•⁠ ⁠From 5 August 2024 to 2 January 2025, there were 127 reported incidents involving puja mandaps. 66 cases were filed and 61 recorded as GDs, leading to the arrest of 64 suspects

The press conference also alleged 60 incidents involving theft from temples, vandalism of idols or temples, arson, land grabbing, and eviction attempts.
•⁠ ⁠In 20 theft-related incidents (idols, ornaments, donation boxes, etc.), 14 cases were filed and 5 logged as GDs
•⁠ ⁠Of 24 reported vandalism cases, 18 were formally filed and 4 recorded as GDs
•⁠ ⁠In these, 15 arrests were made, and 10 suspects surrendered
•⁠ ⁠One theft and two vandalism allegations were found to be untrue
•⁠ ⁠Of the four arson incidents, two were not considered sabotage upon initial enquiry
•⁠ ⁠Of four land/boundary disputes, two were resolved by local mediation
•⁠ ⁠Of six land grabbing claims, investigations found no substantiating evidence
•⁠ ⁠In Khilkhet, a temporary puja mandap built on Bangladesh Railway land was evicted through a joint operation involving railway authorities, police, army, and magistrates
•⁠ ⁠In Bogura, after a contractor demolished pillars of a cremation ground, the administration reconstructed the site

The Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has stated that it will provide further details of additional incidents at a later date. Once received, Bangladesh Police will again review and share updates accordingly.

Bangladesh Police are investigating each reported incident with utmost diligence and seriousness, following the facts wherever they lead. So far, no evidence of communal violence has been found; only individual acts of aggression. Rest assured, the police remain committed to safeguarding the safety and security of all citizens, institutions, and religious establishments in Bangladesh.