A report by the international human rights organisation Human Rights Watch (HRW) has expressed serious concern over rising violence against women and minority communities in Bangladesh ahead of the general elections scheduled for February 12.
Authored by Shubhijat Saha, senior coordinator of HRW's women's rights department, the report argues that the interim government has failed to adequately safeguard fundamental human rights in the aftermath of the 2024 monsoon revolution.
Citing police statistics, the report points to a sharp increase in gender-based violence during the first six months of 2025 compared with the same period the previous year. Quoting Fawzia Moslem, president of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, the report states that "the increasing provocative activities of extremist religious groups are hindering women's normal movement and social participation."
Moslem further noted that since protests by extremist factions against women's empowerment in May 2025, women have faced widespread verbal, physical, and online harassment-a situation she said is "forcing them to remain silent."
The HRW report also highlights continued violence targeting the Hindu community, citing the fatal assault on garment worker Dipu Chandra Das in December, along with at least 51 other reported incidents of violence against Hindus, including 10 murders.
