In the shadow of upcoming February elections, Bangladesh’s Hindu minorities are being systematically vilified in a bid to polarize voters along religious lines. Confidential intelligence points to a high-level conspiracy involving election candidates and extremists aiming to derail the polls with communal strife.
A top Intelligence Bureau source disclosed details of a recent conclave where anti-Hindu agitation was plotted. ‘This is vote-bank engineering at its most dangerous,’ the officer remarked, highlighting the involvement of hardline factions.
Forget infrastructure or jobs—the electoral discourse is veering into toxic territory dominated by Hindu-bashing and India phobia. Propagandists claim Hindus owe allegiance to India and are plotting against the nation, amplified by false narratives of theft and sabotage.
Sheikh Hasina’s exile in India is the perfect scapegoat. Opposition parties label her a puppet of New Delhi, stoking demands for her return while inciting locals against Hindu neighbors.
Experts are divided on the strategy’s success. Public sentiment largely supports India-friendly policies, yet radicals bet on fear-mongering for gains. Jamaat-e-Islami, in particular, thrives on this chaos.
Chronic minority oppression has shrunk Bangladesh’s Hindu numbers significantly. This cycle threatens to accelerate, with families living in terror. A spike in attacks could trigger outflows toward Indian borders, compounding tensions post-Yunus’s rise.
Amid rising voices for constitutional overhaul toward Sharia, the stakes are existential for non-Muslims. Security forces struggle as political rhetoric emboldens attackers. Until the votes are cast, respite seems unlikely, portending a volatile future for the region.