More than 3,600 attacks on minority Hindus since 2013 in Bangladesh, rights groups concerned
Bangladeshi Hindus stage a demonstration in Dhaka
At least six people were killed and numerous more were injured in attacks on Bangladesh's Hindu minority during Durga Puja celebrations last week.
In connection with the incident, which reportedly began following a blasphemous remark on social media regarding the Quran, police have detained 450 individuals and filed 71 charges.
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This is not, however, the first incidence of communal violence in the Muslim-majority country.
According to Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), a Bangladeshi human rights organisation, at least 3,600 similar attacks have occurred in Bangladesh since 2013.
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Hindus make up fewer than 9% of Bangladesh's overall population of over 170 million people, with Muslims accounting for 90% of the country's population.
In the 1980s, the Hindu population was 13.5 per cent, according to government figures.
At the time of Partition in 1947, they were said to make up roughly 30% of the population.
According to Bangladeshi official figures, the Hindu population of Bangladesh has decreased from 13.5 per cent to 8.5 per cent during the last four decades.
The German news website DW cited Rana Dasgupta, general secretary of the nonprofit Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC), as stating, "The purpose of the attacks is to force minorities out of their houses, to minimise the minority population of Bangladesh."
Hindus in Bangladesh are found in all regions, according to the country's 2011 Housing and Population Census, with the districts of Khagrachari (16.81%), Magura (17.92%), Bagerhat (18.35%), Narail (20.56%), Thakurgaon (22.56%), Khulna (22.68%), and Moulvibazar (24.59%) having the highest concentration.
There has, however, been a Hindu exodus from Bangladesh.
According to the report, Hindus have been targeted for vandalism and arson in over 550 homes and 440 stores and enterprises during the last eight years.
During the same period, more than 1,670 vandalism and arson assaults on Hindu temples, idols, and places of worship were documented.
(With inputs from agencies)