Published : 04 Feb 2025, 08:46 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 12:34 PM
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council is spreading “false” information about minority persecution in the aftermath of the fall of Sheikh Hasina government in a mass uprising, according to Chief Advisor’s Press Secretary Shafiqul Alam.
He urged the Unity Council to be more objective in its reporting.
Shafiqul raised the issue during a briefing with journalists at the Foreign Service Academy in Dhaka on Monday. Deputy Press Secretary Mohammad Abul Kalam Azad Majumder later provided further details.
The Awami League was overthrown on Aug 5, 2024 after a massive protest movement. On the same day, deposed prime minister Hasina fled to India.
Following this, reports emerged in the media of attacks on Hindu communities, their homes, and temples across the country.
On Thursday, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council claimed at a press conference that “23 people have been killed in communal violence over the past four and a half months since the uprising".
However, Azad Majumder dismissed this claim as inaccurate.
“Police were assigned to investigate the actual causes of the 23 deaths cited by the Unity Council. The interim government took this matter very seriously and compiled a list of the incidents,” he said.
“This list was sent from the Chief Advisor’s Office to police, requesting details on the true causes of each case and the legal actions taken.”
He added, police determined the primary causes of 22 out of the 23 reported deaths, and legal action has been taken accordingly. However, details of one incident remain unknown.
"Among the 22 cases where details are available, not a single one is linked to communal violence," he emphasised.
Breaking down the cases, Azad Majumder explained seven deaths were related to theft and robbery; four stemmed from personal or family disputes; three were general crimes, including rape, alcohol poisoning, and fights over offensive remarks, two were accidental deaths, two were due to business rivalries; one resulted from a local conflict; one was over a land dispute; and one was a suicide.
Even for the one unresolved case, police confirmed that communal violence was not a factor.
"The list even includes a person who was injured in January last year and died in hospital in December," he added.
The deputy press secretary stressed that all 23 cases were handled with due legal process.
In two cases—suicide and drowning—police have already submitted final reports. In the remaining 21 investigations, 47 individuals have been arrested, with 17 confessing under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, or CrPC, in court.
Dismissing claims of communal violence, the deputy press secretary said the interim government does not support any form of violence and views such misrepresentations as concerning.
"Spreading misleading narratives could undermine communal harmony, and all parties should act responsibly," he urged.
When asked if the Unity Council’s claims amounted to a conspiracy against the state, he responded: "Police will investigate these cases just as they would any other. The government has directed an inquiry to determine if communal violence was truly involved."
He also noted that the council admitted their data was mostly sourced from the media.
"Upon verification, we found that no media outlet portrayed these incidents as communal violence—they were classified as general crimes."
The government urged the Unity Council to conduct a thorough review before making such claims.
"They should examine the facts carefully and present the truth to the public," Azad Majumder concluded.
