General briefing: Bangladesh

Minority groups in Bangladesh continue to face discrimination in the law, in society and in their treatment by enforcement agencies.

Although secularism is enshrined in Article 12 of the 1972 constitution, Article 2(A) asserts that Islam is the state religion and that other religions may be practised in peace and harmony. However, a series of attacks that took place between 2015 and 2017 resulted in the deaths of several bloggers, atheists and members of religious minority groups: a worrying indication of the fate of anyone holding or expressing an opinion contrary to the state and to Islam.

Religious minorities and indigenous communities continue to be targets of discrimination, violence and land grabbing in Bangladesh. Political unrest led to repeated cycles of violence in 2013, 2014 and early 2015, with religious minorities becoming the victims of intimidation and attacks by Islamist groups and radical opposition party members.

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