Ottawa: A Canadian parliamentarian has issued a sharp warning over what he described as a serious breakdown of law and order in Bangladesh, accusing the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of failing to curb rising violence against minority communities, particularly Hindus, more than a year after the political transition that followed the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
“Absolutely horrific” scenes of mob violence
Speaking to NDTV’s Aditya Raj Kaul, Shuvaloy Majumdar, Member of Parliament from Calgary Heritage and Vice Chair of Canada’s International Human Rights Subcommittee, reacted strongly to recent visuals of mob violence circulating on social media from Bangladesh. He described the images as “absolutely horrific” and symptomatic of a deeper moral and institutional collapse within the country.
Majumdar was responding to the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, an incident that has triggered widespread outrage online. According to reports, the victim was brutally assaulted, his body desecrated and later set on fire. The Canadian MP said the brutality reflected “a different level of horror, a different level of evil,” adding that the fact that the victim’s family reportedly learnt about the killing through social media rather than the police underscored a profound failure of state institutions.
Violence against minorities not an isolated incident
Majumdar emphasised that the lynching was not an isolated episode but part of a broader and continuing pattern of violence. He recalled that immediately after Sheikh Hasina was removed from office, Bangladesh witnessed widespread political violence targeting supporters of the Awami League, as well as attacks on minority communities.
“Immediately after Sheikh Hasina was ousted, we saw widespread political violence against Awami League supporters, but also against minorities – Hindus, Christians, Ahmadis and Buddhists,” he said. According to Majumdar, despite expectations that such unrest would subside as the interim administration stabilised, the violence has persisted and, in some cases, intensified over the past year.
He noted that the continuation of such attacks raises serious questions about the ability and willingness of the interim authorities to protect vulnerable communities and uphold basic law and order.
Sharp questions for interim leadership
Directing his criticism squarely at the interim leadership headed by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, Majumdar posed a blunt question: “Who’s in charge?” He argued that the interim government has had sufficient time to restore calm, ensure accountability and lay the groundwork for a credible democratic transition, but has failed to do so.
“If you’re not in charge, then please advise who is, so the world can focus on accountability,” he said, adding that equal citizenship and protection under the law are non-negotiable prerequisites for any legitimate transition process.
Doubts over elections and political climate
Majumdar also expressed scepticism about the prospects of free and fair elections under the current circumstances. Yunus has recently told a US envoy that elections would be held on schedule in February, but the Canadian MP cautioned that elections without the rule of law would lack credibility.
He pointed to the banning of the Awami League, one of Bangladesh’s oldest and most influential political parties, as a major concern. According to Majumdar, the exclusion of a key political force and the climate of fear created by ongoing violence make it “a very difficult environment to have an election.”
Without a clear acknowledgement of the persecution faced by minorities and decisive steps to stop it, he argued, any electoral exercise risks being seen as deeply flawed.
Roots of the crisis in unresolved history
Linking the current unrest to deeper historical factors, Majumdar spoke of what he termed “generational trauma” stemming from the events of 1971, when Bangladesh emerged as an independent nation. He recalled mass displacement, large-scale killings and the use of sexual violence during the liberation war, arguing that unresolved extremism has continued to simmer beneath state institutions for decades.
“The recent surge in attacks represents a recreation of what happened half a century ago,” he said, warning that the failure to confront extremist ideologies decisively in the past has allowed them to resurface in dangerous ways today.
Press freedom and secular fabric under strain
The Canadian MP also raised alarm over attacks on media houses, editors and liberal voices, saying these developments point to a shrinking space for dissent and free expression. He warned that Bangladesh’s traditionally secular fabric is under severe strain amid the resurgence of Islamist groups.
“This is the test of Bangladesh today,” Majumdar said, adding that extremism had been “contained, not defeated,” and is now re-emerging with renewed force. He cautioned that the consequences would not be limited to minority communities alone.
Call for stronger international response
Calling for a more forthright international response, Majumdar urged foreign governments, global media and multilateral institutions such as the United Nations to stop equivocating on the issue. He said the ideological roots of the violence must be confronted openly rather than treated as isolated law-and-order problems.
“Every Bengali – Muslim, Hindu, Christian – will be imperilled if this continues,” he warned, stressing that silence or ambiguity from the international community would only embolden perpetrators and further weaken Bangladesh’s democratic and secular foundations.
Conclusion
Majumdar’s remarks add to growing international concern over Bangladesh’s trajectory since the change in leadership. With violence against minorities continuing, questions over elections unresolved and institutions under strain, the interim government faces mounting pressure to restore law and order and demonstrate that it can protect all citizens equally. Whether it can do so in the months ahead may prove critical not only for Bangladesh’s democratic future, but also for its standing on the global stage.