By Admin 
Bangladesh is today among the most densely populated countries in the world. According to the report of Worldometer, its total population is more than 17 crore 66 lakhs. It has become the eighth largest country in the world in terms of population, but amidst this increasing population, a big change is clearly visible and that is the continuously decreasing share of the Hindu community. Today the Hindu population in Bangladesh remains a very small part of the total population, whereas at the time of independence the situation was completely different.
According to the census and population estimates of the year 2022, the number of Hindus in Bangladesh was approximately between 13 million to 15 million. If seen in percentage terms, it is only about 7.5 to 8 percent of the total population. This figure is important because when Bangladesh was formed in 1971, about one-fifth of the country’s population was Hindu.
Why has Hindu percentage decreased since independence?
If we look at the history of Bangladesh, it is clearly visible that the percentage of Hindu population kept decreasing every decade. While at the time of independence it was around 22 percent, within a few years it fell to 13–14 percent. After this, this figure kept coming down further in every census. Today the situation is that the Hindu community has very limited influence in the politics, administration and society of the country. On the contrary, the percentage of Muslim population kept increasing, due to which the religious balance became one-sided.
The biggest reason for decline in Hindu population
The biggest reason for the decline in Hindu population in Bangladesh has been large-scale migration. In the last several decades, lakhs of Hindu families left Bangladesh and moved to India. This migration is not an event of one or two years, but is a process going on for generations. It was relatively easy for Hindus to go to India due to the open border with India, family ties in West Bengal and Assam, similarity of language and culture. Many researches show that on an average, more than two lakh Hindus have been leaving Bangladesh every year. Today there are millions of people living in India whose roots are in Bangladesh.
Feeling of insecurity and religious persecution
There are not only economic reasons behind migration, but the feeling of security has also been a big issue. At different times, Hindus in Bangladesh have faced communal violence, attacks on temples, land disputes and social discrimination. Hindus were especially targeted during the 1971 war. After this, there have been reports of violence in Hindu areas during elections or political instability in 1990, 2001 and in recent years. Such incidents deepened fear and instability within the Hindu community.
Difference in birth rate also became the reason
The difference in birth rate between Hindu and Muslim populations is also a reason for population change. Research shows that the average number of children in Hindu families is slightly less than that of Muslim families. In the long run, even this small difference affects the population percentage, especially if migration continues.
Also read: Indonesian Currency: Indian Rupee will make you rich in this beautiful Muslim country! You will become a millionaire by taking Rs 1 lakh