RRAG Report Alleges Surge in Targeted Killings of Hindu Minorities in Bangladesh

A new report by the Rights & Risks Analysis Group (RRAG), released on Thursday, has claimed that at least 15 minority Hindus were 'murdered' in Bangladesh between December 1, 2025, and January 15, 2026, an average of one killing every three days.

According to RRAG Director Suhas Chakma, the victims include:

1. Samir Das and Prolay Chaki (January 11, 2026)
2. Joy Mohapatra (January 10, 2026)
3. Mithun Sarkar and Sarat Mani Chakraborty (January 6, 2026)
4. Rana Pratap Bairagi (January 5, 2026)
5. Khokon Chandra Das (December 31, 2025)
6. Bajendra Biswas (December 29, 2025)
7. Amrit Mondal (December 24, 2025)
8. Dipu Chandra Das (December 18, 2025)
9. Shanto Chandra Das (December 12, 2025)
10. Jogesh Chandra Roy and Suborna Roy (December 7, 2025)
11. Prantosh Kormokar and Utpol Sarkar (December 2, 2025)

The report describes the "murders" as premeditated, often motivated by the seizure of victims' assets, such as auto rickshaws belonging to Samir Das and Shanto Chandra Das. Several incidents reportedly involved brutal methods, including throat slitting in what RRAG termed "Taliban style" killings (e.g., Rana Pratap Bairagi, Shanto Chandra Das, Jogesh Chandra Roy, and elderly victim Suborna Roy). The victims ranged from youths like 18-year-old Shanto Chandra Das to older individuals.

Chakma stated that these cases represent only "the tip of the iceberg" amid ongoing daily violence against Hindus and other minorities, which often goes unreported in mainstream media.

The report further criticised the Interim Government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus for allegedly downplaying any religious dimension to these attacks, dismissing them as "disinformation" propagated by India. It highlights Yunus's January 13, 2026, request to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, for technical assistance to counter disinformation campaigns ahead of elections. RRAG argues this narrative could frame future violence against minorities during the election period (campaigning begins January 22, 2026) as mere "political violence," similar to how attacks on Hindus in August 2024 were attributed to targeting the Awami League.

RRAG warned that Hindu minorities face heightened vulnerability as elections approach, predicting unprecedented violence based on religious identity. It notes that without official recognition of religiously motivated attacks and protective measures, minorities are unlikely to participate meaningfully in the polls.

The group called on international election observers, including the European Union — whose Chief Observer Ivars Ijabs on January 11 urged "inclusive" and "participatory" elections involving ethnic, religious, and regional minorities — to press the Interim Government for safeguards. RRAG urged monitors to track violence against indigenous peoples, ethnic communities, and religious minorities throughout the electoral process.

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