Civil Society Raises Alarm Over Minority Security and Voter Suppression

A press conference was held on Sunday morning at the Sagar-Runi Auditorium of the Dhaka Reporters Unity, demanding the assurance of life and property security and the unhindered exercise of voting rights for religious minorities and all marginalized communities in the upcoming 13th National Parliamentary Election. Organized by Citizens for Human Rights, the press conference highlighted recent incidents of violence in minority-populated areas and shared experiences from field observations.

The press conference was moderated by Satej Chakma, International Affairs Secretary of the Bangladesh Indigenous Youth Forum and a member of the field observation team. The written statement was read out by Zakir Hossain, Chief Executive of Nagorik Uddyog and a member of the citizen representative team. Speakers at the event included Shamsul Huda, Executive Director of ALRD; Professor Robayet Ferdous of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism at the University of Dhaka and a member of the field observation team; and human rights activist Dipayan Khisa, among others. Also present were Tawhid Ahmed Rana, representative of Ain o Salish Kendra, and Mahbuba Akter, Director of Advocacy and Communication at BLAST.

In his written statement, Zakir Hossain said that even after 55 years of independence, Bangladesh’s state structure has failed to become fully democratic and humane. As a result, ethnic and religious minorities are continuously facing oppression and discrimination and are gradually being excluded from the state’s decision-making processes. He alleged that spreading fear and panic among minority communities before and after every national election has now become a regular phenomenon.

He stated that ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election, at least 12 houses belonging to followers of the Sanatan religion were set on fire in Raozan, Chattogram, since November 1, 2025, while seven houses were torched in Mirsharai. In these incidents, houses were locked from the outside at night while residents were asleep and then set on fire—an extremely heinous act. To observe these incidents firsthand, a delegation of Citizens for Human Rights visited the affected areas of Raozan and Mirsharai on February 1, 2026.

Regarding the objective of violence against minorities, Zakir Hossain said that the main purpose of these incidents is to spread fear and prevent minority citizens from exercising their voting rights. He alleged that the local administration has failed to play an effective role in preventing such violence.

Professor Robayet Ferdous said that during the period of the interim government, ethnic and religious minorities have been the most persecuted. Although the Constitution provides for the protection of all religions, minorities are not receiving that protection in practice. He commented that planned communal violence is being carried out to deter minorities from voting in the upcoming election.

Shamsul Huda, Executive Director of ALRD, said that violence against minorities is planned and driven by multiple motives. He called upon the Election Commission to ensure a safe and unhindered environment for minorities to cast their votes in the upcoming National Parliamentary Election.

Tawhid Ahmed Rana, representative of Ain o Salish Kendra, said that when attacks occur against minority communities, it is the responsibility of the state to ensure immediate assistance. However, in reality, the effective presence of law enforcement agencies and initiatives for the rehabilitation of victims are not clearly visible.

From the press conference, five demands were placed before the interim government, the Election Commission, law enforcement agencies, and other concerned stakeholders. These include taking special security measures in minority-populated areas, conducting proper investigations and punishing those responsible for violence, ensuring compensation and rehabilitation for victims, providing psychological support, and ensuring active monitoring by the Human Rights Commission.

At the same time, all election-oriented political parties were urged to play an effective role in ensuring the voting rights of religious and ethnic minorities and providing post-election security.