January 25, 2026
Global Human Rights Defence organized an international conference on Saturday, January 24, 2026, at Het Nutshuis in The Hague, Netherlands. The event, titled Blasphemy Allegations, Mob Violence and the Protection of Religious Minorities in Bangladesh, focused on the consequences of violence stemming from blasphemy allegations and the protection of religious minorities in Bangladesh. Discussions extended to the broader region, including Pakistan. Harry van Bommel opened the conference with remarks on the objectives and structure.
This gathering took place amid international focus on other conflicts, such as the war between Russia and Ukraine, the violence in Gaza, and statements by the U.S. president regarding Greenland and Venezuela. The conference brought together experts to discuss laws, government accountability, and the need for protection, with an emphasis on a long history of violence.
Conference background
Over the past eighteen months, Bangladesh recorded multiple incidents of violence related to blasphemy allegations. Global Human Rights Defence, a Hague-based organization accredited by the UN ECOSOC, took the initiative to highlight these issues. The aim was to address international laws, state responsibilities, and the need for rule of law in connection with the violence. The conference underscored the urgency of protecting religious minorities. Bangladesh has no specific blasphemy law, but enforces strict rules against hurting religious sentiments under sections 295 to 298 of the 1860 penal code, with penalties up to two years in prison. Additionally, the 2018 Digital Security Act imposes sanctions up to five years, primarily targeting non-Muslim Hindus. Mob lynchings, extrajudicial killings by groups often involving hanging or other methods, have historically affected non-Muslims in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Historical roots of the violence
The meeting placed the current situation in a broader historical context. Speakers pointed to a pattern of violence against Hindus dating back far into history. From early periods when temples stood openly, to eras of oppression where prayers faded into silence. This violence forms a continuous thread through generations, with incidents that tore families apart and disrupted communities. In 1946, during the events in Noakhali, thousands of Hindus met their deaths in street violence, where innocent men were hacked to pieces and women were assaulted. This marked a dark chapter, but the pattern repeats in contemporary forms under recent governments, including that of Muhammad Yunus. The discussions called for recognition of this ongoing struggle, which erodes the core of human dignity and requires action to prevent repetition.
Statistics on violence and lynchings
Presented data revealed a disproportionate impact on Hindus. In 2025, Hindus made up eight percent of the population, but the country recorded 42 lynchings among them, amounting to about 5.25 cases per hundred. Muslims, comprising 92 percent of the population, experienced 150 lynchings, or about 1.27 per hundred, with a total of 192 cases. These figures indicate a pattern of religious persecution and communal violence. Between August 5, 2024, and December 2025, the country counted 2,829 incidents of violence against Hindus, with 70 deaths, 386 attacked families, 1,766 temples, 90 cases involving indigenous peoples, and various other forms of abuse. In the first six months of 2025 alone, 258 incidents occurred, with 27 deaths, 102 attacked families, 37 temples, and 17 cases among indigenous groups.
Patterns of violence and specific cases
The presentations highlighted patterns such as mob lynchings with more than 42 cases, including Dipu Chandra Das, Ruplal Das, and Amrit Mondal. Targeted murders exceeded 50, with victims like Bablu Dutta, Anita Karmakar, and Subrata Chandra Das. Eight deaths in custody, including Durjoy Chowdhury, and ten from lethal force by state security services, such as in the case of Dipta Saha and attacks in Khagrachari-Guimara. Another ten deaths from related violence, such as in Gopalganj and Noakhali. Notable examples include Dipu Chandra Das, lynched and burned in Mymensingh on December 18, 2025, due to blasphemy; Bablu Dutta, whose throat was slit in Khulna in June 2025; Anita Karmakar, found in the Shitalakshya River in Gazipur in June 2025; Subrata Chandra Das, killed in Noakhali in October 2025; and attacks in Khagrachari-Guimara in September 2025, with five deaths among indigenous Hindus, arsons, and displacements. Additionally, data showed forced resignations: Muslims, 93 percent of the population, had 152 dismissals or 0.16 per hundred, while Hindus, eight percent, had 52 dismissals or 6.50 per hundred, which is 40.6 times higher.
The program and keynote session
The program included registration and welcome by the Global Human Rights Defence team, a keynote session, three panel discussions, and a closing. The keynote session was led by Dr. Anthonie Holslag. He is a Dutch scholar and novelist specialized in anthropology and genocide studies. Holslag is regarded as an expert in state extremism, cultural destruction, and mechanisms leading to genocide. He has published extensively on the Armenian genocide and previously advised the European Parliament on radicalization and extremism. He is involved with the International Association of Genocide Scholars and conducted field research in Iraq and Bangladesh.
First panel on legal framework
The first panel discussion covered the legal and human rights framework, focusing on international obligations around freedom of religion, law enforcement challenges, and access to justice for minorities. Speakers included Paulo Casaca, founder and executive director of the South Asia Democratic Forum and ARCHumankind, and a former member of the European Parliament for ten years, with experience in regional and national parliaments and publications on economics and international politics.
Dr. Habibe Millat, a professor of cardiac surgery trained in Bangladesh, the UK, Europe, and Harvard Medical School, and a member of the Bangladeshi parliament from 2014 to 2024, advocates for universal health coverage, empowerment of women and youth, and initiatives against drug abuse and child marriage.
Priyajit Debsarkar, an author and geopolitical analyst based in London, specializes in international relations and historical conflicts, with books on East Pakistan and the 1999 Kargil War, including The Last Raja of West Pakistan, and columns in newspapers across Canada, the UK, Switzerland, India, Bangladesh, and Hong Kong.
Second panel on media and consequences
The second panel discussion addressed the role of media in conflict zones, with testimonies, case studies, and attention to the social, psychological, and economic effects of violence, plus the role of civil society and human rights defenders. Andy Vermaut, an advocate for sustainable agriculture and environmental protection, focuses on climate change, air quality, the impact of environmental degradation on human rights, and protection of vulnerable groups, with calls for a low-carbon economy and sustainable practices. In his contribution, he pointed to the ongoing history of violence, from ancient temples to contemporary storms of hate, and called for a clear stance against silence, with repeated declarations that enough is enough. Nawin Ramcharan, a Dutch politician and public administration specialist with a background in sociology, founded the student party Liberi Erasmi for academic freedom and democratic values, and was a parliamentary candidate focusing on security, prosperity, migration, and strengthening democracy.
Dina Perla Portnaar, an author, speaker, and critical thinker, focuses on humanism and the ethical consequences of belief systems, with attention to minority protection, safety of women and children, moral dilemmas in traditional practices, a TEDxAmsterdamWomen speech, and the upcoming novel Memos from the Edge in March 2026.
Third panel on international options
The third panel discussion focused on international responses and policy options, exploring roles for the United Nations and the European Union, diplomacy, monitoring, and sanctions. Rahman Khalilur Mamun, a human rights activist and journalist, is the principal representative of Tumuku Development and Cultural Union with ECOSOC status and executive president of the International Forum for Secular Bangladesh in Switzerland, with a focus on secularism, minority rights, and human rights.
Prof. Chandan Sarkar, a professor of economics, human rights advocate, and chairman of the Research and Empowerment Organization, coordinates Global Human Rights Defence for South Asia and has been the permanent representative to the United Nations in New York since 2024, with research on minority rights, environmental sustainability, and economic development in international journals.
Fareed Ahmad, national secretary for External Affairs of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK, focuses on international human rights and freedom of religion, speaks at parliaments and the United Nations, and serves as a board member of Voice of Islam radio.
Dr. Anthonie Holslag closed the panels with remarks on the potential involvement of the United Nations and the European Union.
International responses and ambiguities
The discussions highlighted limited international responses. The United Nations issued no significant statements on Hindus in Bangladesh. The United States had a statement from Congressman Sherman on Bangladesh’s obligation to protect its Hindu community. Religious minority groups, the European Union, congressmembers, and the House of Representatives spoke out, but UN leadership took no comparable steps. International media remained largely silent. Double standards were addressed: rapid reactions to incidents involving Muslims, such as hijab bans or mosque desecrations, versus silence on Hindu persecution despite evidence of ethnic cleansing and forced displacements. Reasons include geopolitical interests, with Bangladesh as an ally in counterterrorism and migration control; influence of Islamic lobbies through OIC countries; media bias at BBC, CNN, and Al Jazeera prioritizing Islamic victim narratives; and fear of backlash when addressing Muslim-majority nations.
Hypocrisy and calls to action
The conference pointed to hypocrisy without visible statements, resolutions, or condemnations from the United Nations, European Union, European Parliament, U.S. Congress, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Minority Rights Groups, OIC member states such as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, and the UAE, or parliaments in the UK, Canada, and Australia. These entities condemn Islamophobia, Kashmir issues, or conflicts in Muslim areas but ignore Hindu genocide in Bangladesh. Calls targeted Global Human Rights Defence and the international community to break the silence: letters to OIC, Turkey, and Qatar on double standards; appeals to Saudi Arabia and the UAE to stop terrorist activists; condemnations of murders and persecution; demands for independent investigations into state involvement; support for Hindu refugees and asylum seekers; pressure on the UN and EU to recognize this as ethnic cleansing; acknowledgment that selective outrage undermines credibility; and suggestions that India help Hindus, intervene, and have police support those seeking shelter.
Closing and outlook
The conference concluded with a report by Wiktoria Halina Walczyk and closing remarks by Harry van Bommel of Global Human Rights Defence. The organization evaluated the meeting as successful, with valuable input from experts from various countries.
Global Human Rights Defence continues to commit to justice, equality, and human dignity worldwide. Participants emphasized the need for action against violence in Bangladesh, where Hindus in 2025 disproportionately experienced 42 lynchings despite comprising only eight percent of the population. For more details on such initiatives, you can take a look at indegazette.be, where stories like these are explored in depth.
Sources:
Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD)
Final Presentation on 24th Jan.pptx
GHRD panel.doc
Agenda International Conference (4).pdf
SpeechBangladeshANdyVermaut (1).pdf
info@ghrd.org
ghrd.org
EUreview