Hindu American Foundation

"As noted in HAF’s prior annual human rights reports, attacks against Hindus in Bangladesh constitute the most serious threat to the Hindu community anywhere in the world. This reality is confirmed in the current report as well. Bangladesh was created after the India-Pakistan War of 1971, that was preceded by the massacre of an estimated two million East Pakistani citizens and the ethnic cleansing of nearly 10 million (mostly Hindus) who fled to India. The Hindu population in Bangladesh has been reduced from about 31% in 1947 to about 9% now."

"The gang rape of women and girls, murder, beatings, harassment, kidnappings, attacks on temples, looting of gold and jewelry, and illegal occupation of land constitute the litany of human rights abuses suffered by Hindus, tribal people, and to a lesser extent Christians and Buddhists."

"For instance, in the period immediately following the 2001 elections, approximately 1,000 Hindu women and girls were raped. ... The systematic kidnapping, rape, and murder of minority women, particularly young Hindu girls, continued in 2011."

"Religious minorities continue to suffer at an alarming rate, with several high-profile attacks on religious communities. Women of minority faiths, particularly Hindus and Christians, endure abductions, rape, and forced conversions, before forced marriages to Muslim men. Draconian blasphemy and apostasy laws are used to harass Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians. Such harassment, including long periods of pre-trial imprisonment, is done in collaboration with local judicial and law enforcement authorities. These and other discriminatory laws have left minorities as second class citizens and vulnerable to attacks by non-state actors."

"Hindus of Bangladesh continue to be victims of ethnic cleansing waged by Islamic fundamentalists that include daily acts of murder, rape, kidnapping, temple destruction, and physical intimidation."

"Violence against women is a common weapon used to intimidate and harass minority communities across the world. It has similarly been used in Bangladesh as a means to attack Hindus. For instance, in the period immediately following the 2001 elections, approximately 1,000 Hindu women and girls were raped. ... The systematic kidnapping, rape, and murder of minority women, particularly young Hindu girls, continued in 2010. Rapes and kidnappings of Hindus are often accompanied by forced conversion to Islam... (225)"