'We're Scared All The Time': Amid Security Concerns, Bengali Hindus Mull Boycott Of Bangladesh Polls

Last Updated:January 07, 2026, 07:00 IST

There is a perception that Hindus were sympathetic towards Awami League and should now face the music after Sheikh Hasina's ouster last year following the student agitation

Students shout slogans during a protest to condemn the lynching of Hindu garment worker Dipu Chandra Das at Dhaka University in Dhaka on December 21, 2025. (Image: AFP)

Bengalis love to talk, but not if you are a Hindu in Bangladesh. It all changed with the student uprising a year ago, which led to the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government and the emergence of deep mistrust towards minority communities, especially Hindus.

The perception grew that Hindus were sympathetic towards the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League and, thus, should now face the music.

The once-eloquent Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has virtually gone underground. A vocal defender of minority rights in the past, frequently organising cultural workshops, most of its members now face murder charges. They have been accused of killing students during the uprising.

Today, none of them wants to be seen or heard, nor appear on camera. Some have left Dhaka for undisclosed locations within the country but being seen or heard could mean death or torture.

“We are scared all the time. Looking over our shoulder while we go out has become a habit," they said, requesting anonymity.

In the aftermath of Hasina’s ouster, minorities were seen as her supporters. Bengali Hindus faced cold vibes as a response to India’s sheltering her.

At present, Hindus no longer hold senior positions in the judiciary, universities, or any government job. Take Chandranath Poddar, the head of the mathematics department at Dhaka University.

Poddar stayed home out of fear during the uprising. Upon returning, he stopped taking classes. Many Hindu department heads were asked to resign, their hair shaved and black ink thrown on them.

Hindus now find themselves in a Catch-22 situation, mulling a boycott of the upcoming elections in Bangladesh. If they choose to boycott, however, they will be seen as sympathisers of the Awami League that is facing a poll ban. But if they take part, their security remains a major concern.

There is some hope when it comes to the with the Bangladesh ist Party (BNP), as they believe the Jamaat’s radical views might exclude them. But there is fear that the party might cling to power by aligning with the Jamaat.

Being from the minority community is not easy, especially in Bangladesh. Will they leave the country? But with a mix of fear and pride, a senior official of the unity council says: “Why should we? This is our country. India is not our home."

But, as of now in Bangladesh, Bengali Hindus are unable to shake off the feeling that they are “outsiders" in their own land.

News world 'We're Scared All The Time': Amid Security Concerns, Bengali Hindus Mull Boycott Of Bangladesh Polls

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