Hinduism is the second-largest religion in Bangladesh, accounting for about 7.95% of the country's population, approximately 13.1 million people, as per the 2022 census of Bangladesh. Around 21% of the Bangladeshi diaspora follow Hinduism.
Bangladesh has the world's third-largest Hindu population, after India and Nepal. Hinduism is the second-largest religion in 61 of 64 districts in Bangladesh. Bengali Hindus form the largest Hindu community of Bangladesh, whose culture shares similarities with Hinduism in West Bengal. Goddess veneration is the most common tradition, though syncretism with Islamic traditions isn't uncommon. Durga Puja is the largest religious festival for Bangladeshi Hindus. Multiple historic and contemporary Hindu temples are scattered across the country. Hindu family law is the primary law that regulates the personal affairs of Bangladeshi Hindus.
Hindu community of Bangladesh has faced persecution since the partition of India in 1947, which continued after the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. During the 1971 Bangladesh genocide, 300,000 to 3 million people were killed (disproportionately Hindus), mass rapes on 300-400,000 women (predominantly Hindu) were perpetrated, as well as Hindu temple desecrations, property destruction, and the flight of 8-10 million Hindu refugees to India. Hindu population of Bangladesh also dropped from 33% in 1901 to 7.9% in 2022.
Demographics + Percentage and population of Hinduism in Bangladesh Year Percentage (%) Hindu Population Total population Notes 1901 9,546,240 28,927,626 Eastern Bengal region 1911 9,939,825 31,555,363 Before partition 1921 10,176,030 33,254,607 1931 10,466,988 35,604,189 1941 11,759,160 41,999,221 1951 9,239,603 42,062,462During Pakistani rule 1961 9,379,669 50,804,914 1974 9,673,048 71,478,543 After independence of Bangladesh 1981 10,570,245 87,120,487 1991 11,178,866 106,315,583 2001 11,822,581 123,151,871 2011 12,299,940 144,043,697 2022 13,130,109 165,158,616Source: Census of India 1901–1941, Census of East Pakistan 1951–1961, Bangladesh Government Census 1974-2022
According to the 2001 Bangladesh census, there were around 11.82 million Hindus in Bangladesh, constituting 9.6% of the population, which at the time was 123.15 million. The Bangladesh 2011 census states that approximately 12.73 million people responded that they were Hindus, constituting 8.54% of the total 149.77 million. While the 2022 Census of Bangladesh put the number of Hindus in Bangladesh at 13.1 million out of a total population of 165.1 million, thus constituting 7.95% of the population. According to a report published by a local daily newspaper in Bangladesh, the Hindu population in the country has reduced by nearly one million between 2001 and 2011. The reduction mainly happened in nine districts: Bhola, Barisal, Jhalokati, Pirojpur, Bagerhat, Narail, Gopalganj, Rajbari, and Manikganj. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has said that Hindus constitute merely 7% of the population in Bangladesh, as per the latest 2016 figures. Hindus in Bangladesh in the late 2000s were almost evenly distributed in all regions, with large concentrations in Gopalganj, Dinajpur, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Mymensingh, Khulna, Jessore, Chittagong, and parts of Chittagong Hill Tracts. In the capital city of Dhaka, Hindus are the second-largest religious community after the Muslims, and the largest concentration of Hindus can be found in and around Shankhari Bazaar in the old city.
In 2013, Amnesty International reported that the rise of more explicitly Islamist political formations in Bangladesh during the 1990s had resulted in many Hindus being intimidated or attacked, and that fairly substantial numbers were leaving the country for India.
In 1901, Hindus constituted 33% of the population of what is now Bangladesh. In 1941, about 28% of the population were Hindus. Their proportion declined to 22% in 1951 after the Partition of India in 1947, as Hindus migrated from East Bengal to India. Wealthy Hindus who migrated lost their land and assets through the East Bengal Evacuees Act. Poor and middle-class Hindus who were left behind were targets of discriminatory new laws. At the outbreak of the 1965 India-Pakistan war, the Defense of Pakistan Ordinance, and later the Enemy (Custody and Registration) Order II, labeled Hindus as the "enemy" and expropriated their property. The 1974 census of Bangladesh showed that the population of Hindus had fallen to 13.5%. Even after independence, the Hindus were branded "Indian stooges" and untrustworthy citizens.
Since 1971, the Hindu percentage has continued to decline, forming 8.5% of the population as of 2011. The fall in the share of the total population has been attributed to outward migration, and the fertility rate for Hindus remaining consistently lower than Muslims (2.1 versus 2.3 as of 2014).
Hinduism by divisions + Hindu Population across divisions of Bangladesh (2022) Division Hindu Population Total populationPercentage (%)Barisal 750,177 9,100,104Chittagong 2,196,947 33,202,357Dhaka 2,766,874 44,215,759Khulna 2,007,502 17,415,924Mymensingh 481,742 12,225,449Rajshahi 1,159,197 20,353,116Rangpur 2,290,450 17,610,955Sylhet 1,491,315 11,034,952
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics report, Khulna division has the highest decline in Hindu population (1.33%) from 2011 to 2022. In 2011, 12.85% of the population of the division were Hindus. This rate has come down to 11.52% in 2022. Among the eight divisions, Khulna has the fourth-highest Hindu population. According to the 2022 census, Sylhet Division has the highest Hindu population of 13.5%, but the ratio was 14.05% in 2011. In Rangpur Division, the Hindu population has decreased from 13.21% in 2011 to 12.98% in 2022. Mymensingh Division has the lowest percentage of people belonging to the Hindu community (3.92%) as of 2022.
Hinduism by districts + Hindu Population across districts of Bangladesh (2022) District Hindu population Total population Percentage (%)Barguna69,4921,010,531Barisal275,2632,570,446Bhola55,5351,932,518Jhalokati61,352661,160Patuakhali107,5531,727,254Pirojpur180,9821,198,195Bandarban16,501481,106Brahmanbaria220,9603,306,563Chandpur146,5242,635,748Chattogram982,6049,169,465Cumilla269,2146,212,216Cox's Bazar108,1662,823,268Feni91,1601,648,896Khagrachhari119,706714,119Lakshmipur61,8461,937,948Noakhali147,1543,625,442Rangamati33,112647,586Dhaka672,26914,734,701Faridpur182,5612,162,879Gazipur263,4905,263,450Gopalganj348,9741,295,057Kishoreganj158,7783,267,626Madaripur144,9041,293,027Manikganj138,8751,558,025Munshiganj122,2381,625,416Narayanganj144,1053,909,138Narsingdi184,3092,224,944Rajbari110,5691,189,818Shariatpur42,7241,294,562Tangail257,3514,037,608Bagerhat264,2291,613,076Chuadanga27,8041,234,054Jessore313,5923,076,144Jhenaidah168,4442,005,849Khulna542,4172,613,385Kushtia58,7712,149,692Magura162,1381,033,115Meherpur8,497705,356Narail124,465788,671Satkhira337,1452,196,582Jamalpur39,8272,499,738Mymensingh202,4405,899,005Netrokona202,6482,324,853Sherpur36,8271,501,853Bogra216,6573,734,297Chapai Nawabganj72,1781,835,528Joypurhat87,595956,431Naogaon321,3412,784,599Natore107,1241,859,922Pabna74,2652,909,624Rajshahi133,5142,915,009Sirajganj146,5233,357,706Dinajpur648,3263,315,236Gaibandha177,5932,562,233Kurigram143,3812,329,160Lalmonirhat185,3221,428,406Nilphamari327,3332,092,568Panchagarh184,9511,179,843Rangpur283,9643,169,614Thakurgaon339,5801,533,895Habiganj374,1042,358,886Maulvibazar519,2632,123,447Sunamganj315,0442,695,496Sylhet282,9043,857,123
Hinduism by upazilas According to the 2022 census, there are 43 upazilas with a Hindu population percentage above 20%. There are also several notable upazilas with a Hindu percentage between 17% and 20%. They are listed below according to percentage.
Dacope Upazila is the only Hindu majority Upazila in Bangladesh.
Upazila District Percentage of HinduismDacope UpazilaKhulna District 54.44%Kotalipara UpazilaGopalganj District 47.10%Shalla UpazilaSunamganj District 44.19%Kaharole UpazilaDinajpur District 43.59%Agailjhara UpazilaBarishal District 40.47%Sreemangal UpazilaMoulvibazar District 39.49%Bochaganj UpazilaDinajpur District 38.07%Dumuria UpazilaKhulna District 34.72%Khaliajuri UpazilaNetrokona District 33.69%Juri UpazilaMoulvibazar District 33.40%Rajoir UpazilaMadaripur District 30.85%Chitalmari UpazilaBagerhat District 30.23%Kamalganj UpazilaMoulvibazar District 30.22%Paikgachha UpazilaKhulna District 28.99%Nazirpur UpazilaPirojpur District 28.43%Pirganj UpazilaThakurgaon District 28.31%Batiaghata UpazilaKhulna District 27.56%Birganj UpazilaDinajpur District 27.47%Khansama UpazilaDinajpur District 27.12%Tungipara UpazilaGopalganj District 26.26%Derai UpazilaSunamganj District 25.44%Birol UpazilaDinajpur District 25.20%Khagrachhari Sadar UpazilaKhagrachhari District 24.76%Atwari UpazilaPanchagarh District 24.72%Thakurgaon Sadar UpazilaThakurgaon District 24.38%Dasar UpazilaMadaripur District 24.24%Debiganj UpazilaPanchagarh District 24.17%Shalikha UpazilaMagura District 23.99%Ajmiriganj UpazilaHabiganj District 23.98%Ujirpur UpazilaBarishal District 23.46%Narail Sadar UpazilaNarail District 23.37%Gopalganj Sadar UpazilaGopalganj District 23.41%Tala UpazilaSatkhira District 23.36%Ashashuni UpazilaSatkhira District 23.36%Muksudpur UpazilaGopalganj District 23.07%Chirirbandar UpazilaDinajpur District 22.92%Guimara UpazilaKhagrachhari District 22.51%Boda UpazilaPanchagarh District 22.52%Madhyanagar UpazilaSunamganj District 22.07%Rajnagar UpazilaMoulvibazar District 21.95%Panchhari UpazilaKhagrachhari District 21.46%Fakirhat UpazilaBagerhat District 20.83%Ranishankail UpazilaThakurgaon District 20.58%Matiranga UpazilaKhagrachhari District 19.73%Baliakandi UpazilaRajbari District 19.60%Ramgarh UpazilaKhagrachhari District 19.16% Nawabganj UpazilaDhaka District 18.95%Niamatpur UpazilaNaogaon District 18.56% Mohadevpur UpazilaNaogaon District 17.89%Patnitala UpazilaNaogaon District 17.82%
Hindu majority unions There are 81 hindu majority union in Bangladesh out of 4,579.