Concerns remain over religious freedom in Bangladesh: USCIRF report
Bangladesh’s interim government has made progress in carrying out reforms aimed at ensuring political stability after the July mass uprising. However, concerns over political tensions and religious freedom persist, with several troubling incidents reported in 2025.
These issues were highlighted in a report published on Monday by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
The report also addressed restrictions faced by Rohingya refugees who fled from Myanmar, and included observations from a USCIRF delegation that visited Bangladesh last year.
The USCIRF, established in 1998 under the International Religious Freedom Act, is an independent body that monitors freedom of religion or belief worldwide and provides policy recommendations to the US president, secretary of state and Congress.
According to the report, several concerning incidents related to alleged blasphemy occurred in Bangladesh in 2025. In February, poet Sohel Hasan Galib was arrested on charges of hurting religious sentiments. The following month, a Hindu man was arrested on allegations of insulting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and remains in custody.
The USCIRF report further noted that in October 2025, a university student was arrested over allegations of desecrating the Quran. After a related video spread on social media, a group of agitated individuals surrounded his house. In November, police arrested a Baul artiste on charges of blasphemy and hurting religious sentiments.
In December, a rumour spread in Mymensingh that a Hindu garment worker had made derogatory remarks about the Prophet (PBUH). Following this, a mob beat him to death. Later, they hung his body from a tree and set it on fire.
In addition, in November, police arrested an individual accused of throwing several crude bombs at two Catholic churches and a Catholic school in Dhaka.
The report observed that the student-led mass uprising in July 2024 marked the beginning of a new political phase in Bangladesh and paved the way for the formation of a caretaker government. Since then, the interim administration has proposed a range of reforms, amendments and constitutional changes. Despite these efforts, underlying tensions among different religious communities remain.
During a visit to Bangladesh in May 2025, a USCIRF delegation met with civil society representatives and government officials in Dhaka to discuss religious freedom. The report summarises both the country’s situation and the delegation’s findings.
Many individuals interviewed by the delegation expressed concerns about their safety and their ability to openly practice their religious beliefs. Some religious minorities and Muslim women reported that incidents of violence based on religious identity occur from time to time.
The report emphasised the importance of ensuring that all religious minorities can practice their faith freely without fear of attack or retaliation.