The interim government of Bangladesh on Monday stated that most incidents involving members of minority communities during 2025 were criminal acts and not motivated by communal considerations. The clarification comes days after India urged Dhaka to take swift and firm action against attacks on minorities and expressed concern over attempts to explain away such incidents.
The statement was issued by the office of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus following a comprehensive review of police records covering the entire year. According to the data, a total of 645 incidents involving minority communities were recorded across Bangladesh between January and December 2025.
The government said that while every such incident is a matter of concern, the findings indicate that the majority were criminal in nature rather than driven by communal hostility. Out of the total cases, 71 incidents were identified as having a communal element.
These included 38 instances of vandalism at temples, eight cases of arson, one case of theft, one murder, and 23 other incidents such as threats to damage idols, provocative content circulated on social media, and damage to worship structures.
Police registered cases in 50 of the incidents with communal links, and arrests were made in an equal number of cases. In the remaining instances, authorities said preventive steps or further investigations were carried out.
The statement comes amid heightened scrutiny of minority safety in Bangladesh following recent killings of Hindu individuals, which had prompted strong reactions from New Delhi and renewed diplomatic attention to the issue.
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