Minority Watch
BBC Bangla recently published a report titled “Not Hindus, but Muslims Have Entered India in Larger Numbers from Bangladesh After August.” Released on January 1, 2025, the report appears to downplay the ongoing communal atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh.
Citing unnamed sources from the Indian Border Security Force (BSF), it says: “From August to the third week of December this year, more Muslims than Hindus were apprehended while attempting to illegally cross into India from Bangladesh.”
Hindus: 301, Muslims: 415
Citing BSF data, the BBC noted: “A total of 716 Bangladeshi nationals were caught while illegally crossing the border from August to December 24, 2024. Among them, 301 were Hindus, and 415 were Muslims.”
However, the report omits a critical context—the proportional representation of Hindus and Muslims in Bangladesh. According to the 2022 census, Hindus comprise just 7.95% of Bangladesh’s population. Based on this ratio, out of the 716 individuals apprehended, no more than 57 should have been Hindus, while the remaining 659 would be Muslims. So, who is crossing the border in disproportionately larger numbers? They are the Bangladeshi minorities.
The reason why these people are risking their lives and livelihoods to flee to India, leaving behind their ancestral lands, is self-evident. but the BBC fails to address them. Instead, it skirts the issue of communal persecution in Bangladesh, particularly against Hindus.
In a deliberate attempt to conceal information, BBC, in a previous report, referred to the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh as “rumors,” giving Bangladeshi authorities a convenient pretext to deny these claims.
Since August 5, 2024, following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government, widespread human rights violations have plagued Bangladesh. Alongside Hindus, many political activists, particularly from the Awami League, have been targeted. Arbitrary arrests, physical assaults (even within court premises), extrajudicial killings, lynching, arson, and looting have become routine.
In such a climate, many individuals, fearing for their safety, have fled to India. However, the BBC’s report offers a limited perspective, noting only that 415 Muslims were apprehended at the border without delving into the broader context.
The BBC has not disclosed the actual number of Bangladeshis who have crossed into India, legally or illegally. Citing unnamed officials, the report states: “Considering full-year statistics, there was no significant change in the number of infiltrators between August and December. The number of Hindus and other infiltrators only slightly increased.”
According to the report, “From August to December of 2023, only 203 Hindus and 449 Muslims were caught at the South Bengal border. In 2022, during the same period, 114 Hindus and 298 Muslims were apprehended while attempting to enter India illegally.”
The BBC did not accept the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh as a reality; instead labeled it as “so-called persecution.”
The report quotes Mohit Roy, convener of the Indian organization CAMB, who stated: “Muslims have always been more numerous among those who enter from Bangladesh.” It also cites unnamed BSF sources claiming: “The number of Hindu infiltrators fleeing Bangladesh due to persecution or fear of persecution is negligible.”
However, the report acknowledges: “It cannot be concluded from the number of apprehensions alone that these figures represent the total number of infiltrators,” as “many manage to enter India without being caught by border guards.”
Notably, after the political transition in August 2024, hundreds of Hindus, facing threats, gathered at the border seeking refuge in India. While Bangladeshi media largely suppressed this issue, several international outlets covered it, including video evidence. We are providing links to some of these reports. The BBC’s report in question seems to be a futile attempt to obscure the facts highlighted in these accounts.
Also Read:
A key omission in BBC’s report on Bangladeshis’ infiltration into India
Minority Watch
BBC Bangla recently published a report titled “Not Hindus, but Muslims Have Entered India in Larger Numbers from Bangladesh After August.” Released on January 1, 2025, the report appears to downplay the ongoing communal atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh.
Citing unnamed sources from the Indian Border Security Force (BSF), it says: “From August to the third week of December this year, more Muslims than Hindus were apprehended while attempting to illegally cross into India from Bangladesh.”
Hindus: 301, Muslims: 415
Citing BSF data, the BBC noted: “A total of 716 Bangladeshi nationals were caught while illegally crossing the border from August to December 24, 2024. Among them, 301 were Hindus, and 415 were Muslims.”
However, the report omits a critical context—the proportional representation of Hindus and Muslims in Bangladesh. According to the 2022 census, Hindus comprise just 7.95% of Bangladesh’s population. Based on this ratio, out of the 716 individuals apprehended, no more than 57 should have been Hindus, while the remaining 659 would be Muslims. So, who is crossing the border in disproportionately larger numbers? They are the Bangladeshi minorities.
The reason why these people are risking their lives and livelihoods to flee to India, leaving behind their ancestral lands, is self-evident. but the BBC fails to address them. Instead, it skirts the issue of communal persecution in Bangladesh, particularly against Hindus.
In a deliberate attempt to conceal information, BBC, in a previous report, referred to the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh as “rumors,” giving Bangladeshi authorities a convenient pretext to deny these claims.
Since August 5, 2024, following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government, widespread human rights violations have plagued Bangladesh. Alongside Hindus, many political activists, particularly from the Awami League, have been targeted. Arbitrary arrests, physical assaults (even within court premises), extrajudicial killings, lynching, arson, and looting have become routine.
In such a climate, many individuals, fearing for their safety, have fled to India. However, the BBC’s report offers a limited perspective, noting only that 415 Muslims were apprehended at the border without delving into the broader context.
The BBC has not disclosed the actual number of Bangladeshis who have crossed into India, legally or illegally. Citing unnamed officials, the report states: “Considering full-year statistics, there was no significant change in the number of infiltrators between August and December. The number of Hindus and other infiltrators only slightly increased.”
According to the report, “From August to December of 2023, only 203 Hindus and 449 Muslims were caught at the South Bengal border. In 2022, during the same period, 114 Hindus and 298 Muslims were apprehended while attempting to enter India illegally.”
The BBC did not accept the persecution of minorities in Bangladesh as a reality; instead labeled it as “so-called persecution.”
The report quotes Mohit Roy, convener of the Indian organization CAMB, who stated: “Muslims have always been more numerous among those who enter from Bangladesh.” It also cites unnamed BSF sources claiming: “The number of Hindu infiltrators fleeing Bangladesh due to persecution or fear of persecution is negligible.”
However, the report acknowledges: “It cannot be concluded from the number of apprehensions alone that these figures represent the total number of infiltrators,” as “many manage to enter India without being caught by border guards.”
Notably, after the political transition in August 2024, hundreds of Hindus, facing threats, gathered at the border seeking refuge in India. While Bangladeshi media largely suppressed this issue, several international outlets covered it, including video evidence. We are providing links to some of these reports. The BBC’s report in question seems to be a futile attempt to obscure the facts highlighted in these accounts.
Also Read:
Hindus in Bangladesh try to flee to India amid violence: Reuters
Bangladeshi Hindus still waiting to cross into India: DW
Hundreds of Bangladeshi Hindus try to cross into India: AFP
BSF sends back 1,000 men, mostly Hindus at India-Bangladesh border in Cooch Behar district: The Hindu
Hundreds of Bangladeshi Hindus try to cross into India: Arab News
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