Dhaka, June 8: A prominent minority human rights organization has expressed serious concern over threats to the Radha-Gobinda temple in Gaibandha district, Bangladesh. These threats come from a “selfish” group intent on attacking and demolishing the temple.
The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, a human rights organization working against religious discrimination, issued a statement regarding a video that has been widely shared on social media, threatening the temple located in Hansbari village, Gaibandha.
The organization noted, “As a result, local residents, along with religious and ethnic minority communities across the country, are extremely worried and fearful. There is a real risk of communal violence erupting at any moment, which could severely damage the country’s image and social harmony.”
The council has called on the government, administration, civil society, and political leaders to take immediate and effective measures to maintain communal harmony at both local and national levels. The organization demands that those spreading communal incitement and threats be brought to justice and face strict penalties under the law.
The statement further highlighted that the temple complex houses not only sacred idols but also an old age home, a medical center, and several other welfare institutions. Development work at the temple has been ongoing for some time.
Last month, the Bangladesh Minority Human Rights Congress (HRCBM) released a report titled “Ongoing Attacks on Minority Communities in Bangladesh: Persecution Continues,” documenting 505 incidents targeting minorities across 62 districts and all 8 divisions of Bangladesh between January and April 2026.
The report noted that these incidents include murders and suspicious deaths, physical assaults, abductions, sexual violence, attacks on temples and religious institutions, land grabbing, arson, looting, threats, and blasphemy-related persecution.
According to the report, these incidents are not isolated or local occurrences but reflect a recurring pattern of violence, threats, sexual exploitation, land dispossession, religious attacks, mob aggression, and failures in institutional security affecting minority communities nationwide.
The human rights organization criticized the Bangladeshi authorities for their ongoing failure to provide adequate protection to minority communities, stating, “The documented figures highlight a continuous failure to ensure equal access to safety, accountability, and justice for vulnerable minority communities.”
The report also raised concerns about delayed responses, weak investigations, intimidation of victims or their families, and a lack of accountability in many cases.
During the 18-month tenure of the interim government led by former Mohammad Yunus, there has been an increase in violence against minorities, including Hindus in Bangladesh, sparking outrage among people worldwide and human rights organizations. Repeated incidents under the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government have further underscored the sharp rise in targeted attacks on minority communities in the country.
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