UK Home Office: Country Policy and Information Note Bangladesh - Religious minorities and Atheists

Bangladesh is a majority Islamic country with around 91% of the population Sunni Muslims. Other religions include Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. The constitution and other laws hold that Islam is the state religion but ensure equal status and equal rights for all religions. The government has implemented policies to protect religious minority rights and publicly declared its commitment to support religious diversity. The law provides for the prosecution of offences committed against places of worship and religiously motivated offenses against individuals. However, there are some examples of these laws and those under the Digital Security Act (DSA), which was replaced by the Cyber Security Act in 2023, being used to arrest and detain people for allegedly speaking out against or insulting the principles of Islam. Religious minorities can practice their faith freely throughout Bangladesh without harassment. There are instances of sporadic communal violence, most recently tied to political upheaval, which continue to result in deaths, injuries, assaults, and damage to property. During the August 2024 political unrest in Bangladesh, Members of religious minorities faced harassment and violence. However, many Cases were politically motivated rather than based on religious differences.