Hill Voice, March 13, 2026, Dhaka: In protest against more than fifty incidents of communal violence that occurred across the country during the month following the national parliamentary election, a human chain was organized this morning, Friday (March 13), at the premises of the National Press Club in Dhaka. Speaking at the event, minority leaders stated that the broad spectrum of religious and ethnic minority communities in this country had hoped that the ruling party would fulfill its pledge to establish a secular, humane society and state; however, certain quarters are actively working to thwart this objective.
They called upon the Head of Government and the Head of State to immediately step forward and play an effective role in curbing such sinister activities. The leaders expressed hope that the same peaceful environment-which was ensured to allow for fearless and unhindered voting in the days immediately preceding the election-would be sustained in the ongoing endeavor to build a democratic Bangladesh.
Leaders of the Minority Unity Alliance-coordinated by the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council-stated that the incidents of communal violence occurring in the month following the election included murders, rapes, attacks on and looting of temples, attacks on homes and business establishments, and the forceful occupation of indigenous peoples’ homesteads.
These incidents include-the abduction and gang-rape of a woman participating in a religious festival in Tajumuddin, Bhola; the murders of Akash Das in Chattogram, Sunil Bashfor in Bogura, businessman Ganesh Pal in Cox’s Bazar, teacher Chayan Rajbhor in Bogura, Arun Adhikari in Jashore, rice trader Sushen Chandra Sarkar in Mymensingh, and Amitabh Chandra Sujan in Gaibandha Sadar Upazila; a cocktail explosion at the Kali Gachtala Shiv Temple in Dakkhinpara, Comilla city, which injured four people including the priest; the burning down of the Lakkhi Temple in Dhunat, Bogura, through arson; vandalism at the Hamkora Kali Temple in Ashashuni, Satkhira; and an incident involving attacks, looting, and arson at a family temple in Feni.
The leaders strongly demanded the immediate arrest of all individuals involved in the communal incidents that have already taken place, insisting that they be brought to justice and subjected to exemplary punishment, while also calling for compensation for the victims and proper medical treatment for the injured. Concurrently, they urged the government to take effective measures to implement their eight-point charter of demands-including the immediate enactment of a Minority Protection Act, and the establishment of a Minority Commission and a Ministry for Minority Affairs.
Following the human chain, a protest procession comprising several hundred people set out from the Press Club premises, circled around Paltan intersection, and concluded back at the starting point.
