107 Hindus killed, 31 forced to disappear in 2017: BJHM

At least 107 people of the Hindu community were killed and 31 fell victims to enforced disappearance in 2017, which are higher than previous year's figures, claimed Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajote (BJHM) on Saturday, reports UNB.

Polash Kanti Dey, general secretary of BJHM, a grand alliance of national Hindu organisations, came up with the statistics while revealing a report titled 'Atrocities on Religious Minorities in Bangladesh from January 1 to December 31 of 2017' at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) in the city.

According to the report, 782 Hindus were either forced to leave the country or threatened to leave. Besides, 23 were forced to get converted into other religions.

Polash said at least 25 Hindu women and children were raped while 235 temples and statues were vandalised during the year.

The total number of atrocities happened with the Hindu community in 2017 is 6474, according to the BJHM report, which was 11,335 in 2016.

BJHM President Prabhas Chandra Ray told the press conference that though the total number of atrocities has declined because of the joint efforts of the government, BJHM and Hindu society, the incidents of killing and forced disappearance are still alarming.