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EYE ON INDIA JANUARY 23, 2026 | The Indian Eye 8

Bangladesh on the Brink:

Communal Unrest, Fragile Law and Order

Cloud Crucial February Polls

As Bangladesh heads toward a decisive election next month, rising communal tensions, attacks on

minorities and fears over law and order are deepening a national crisis under the interim government.

OUR BUREAU lar support—estimated by some at
around 30 per cent in opinion polls—
Dhaka / New Delhi
has been barred from contesting the
angladesh is facing one of its upcoming elections, a move that crit-
most volatile moments in re- ics argue undermines inclusivity. At
Bcent years, with communal anx- the same time, Islamist groups are re-
ieties, political uncertainty and ques- ported to be pushing for a referendum
tions over the credibility of upcoming to fundamentally alter Bangladesh’s
elections converging into a deepening constitution, further heightening fears
national crisis. Incidents of violence among secularists and minorities.
against minorities, concerns voiced by International concern has been
civil society and growing international mounting. In the United Kingdom,
scrutiny have placed the interim ad- Conservative MP Bob Blackman
ministration under intense pressure raised the situation in Bangladesh
just weeks before the country goes to during a parliamentary debate, citing
the polls on February 12. reports of Hindu men being mur-
The latest flashpoint came from dered, homes and temples burned,
eastern Bangladesh’s Sylhet district, and minorities facing systematic per-
where a fire broke out at the home of secution. He questioned how elec-
Bikash Ranjan Deb, a Hindu school- tions could be described as free and
teacher in Gowainghat, on Janu- fair when a major political party is
ary 16. While local police and the excluded and extremist forces appear
homeowner himself said the blaze emboldened.
was caused by an electrical short cir- Other UK lawmakers echoed
cuit, the incident occurred against The High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh, Pranay Kumar Verma, these concerns while reaffirming sup-
the backdrop of a broader wave of meets the Acting Chairman of BNP and son of former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Begum port for peaceful, credible elections
communal violence that has unset- Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman, in Dhaka (ANI) and the protection of human rights.
tled minority communities across the British officials have said they are en-
country. Deb told authorities that be- gaging with the interim government
longings worth nearly five million tak- desh must be dealt with “swiftly and noting that citizens are yearning for an and have welcomed its stated com-
as were destroyed, though he stressed firmly.” His remarks reflect growing “unflawed, credible election that is ac- mitments to minority safety, while
that he held no one responsible and unease in the region over the poten- cepted by everyone.” At the same time, condemning all forms of religious or
noted that Hindus and Muslims in tial spillover effects of instability in she warned that law and order con- ethnic violence.
the area had long lived peacefully. Bangladesh. cerns are weighing heavily on voters For the Yunus-led interim ad-
Despite these assurances, such At home, the security situation has and observers alike. “We are not even ministration, the challenge is formi-
incidents have acquired heightened become a central issue as the country one month away from the election, dable: restoring public confidence in
political and social significance in the prepares for its first general election and people are wondering whether law enforcement, ensuring minority
current climate. Reports of attacks since the dramatic July 2024 uprising the law-and-order situation will allow a protection, and delivering an election
on Hindu homes, temples and busi- that ended Sheikh Hasina’s long rule fair election to take place,” she added. that is both inclusive and credible, all
nesses in several parts of Bangladesh and brought down the Awami League Khan also cautioned that there within a compressed timeframe. Each
have triggered alarm domestically and government. Following her ouster are elements opposed to a transpar- new incident—whether politically
abroad, feeding fears that minorities and departure from the country, an ent electoral process, though their motivated or accidental—risks further
are increasingly vulnerable amid po- interim administration headed by No- identities and motives remain unclear. inflaming tensions in an already polar-
litical instability. bel laureate Muhammad Yunus was Failure to hold an acceptable election, ized society.
India has publicly expressed con- formed, with a mandate to stabilize the she warned, could have severe conse- As Bangladesh approaches Feb-
cern over what it described as a “dis- nation and oversee credible elections. quences for the country’s democratic ruary 12, the stakes could hardly be
turbing pattern” of recurring attacks Election expert Munira Khan, future. “This is the last chance to have higher. The coming weeks will test not
on minorities. Ministry of External who has worked for decades on elec- a good and fair election. If we don’t, we only the capacity of the interim gov-
Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal toral reforms in Bangladesh, says the all will be very disappointed,” she said. ernment to maintain order, but also
said New Delhi continues to close- public mood is a mix of hope and anxi- The political landscape remains the resilience of the country’s demo-
ly monitor the situation and stressed ety. “This time, I feel there is a different deeply fractured. The Awami League, cratic institutions at a moment many
that communal incidents in Bangla- atmosphere in Bangladesh,” she said, despite retaining significant popu- see as pivotal for its future.

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