Hindu houses looted and vandalised by Islamists in Bangladesh

Case ID : 0b6777f | Location : Bangladesh | Date of Incident : Sun, 4 August, 2024

Case ID : 0b6777f

Bangladesh

4 August, 2024

Hindu houses looted and vandalised by Islamists in Bangladesh

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Case Summary

On August 5th, 2024, Bangladesh plunged into chaos after a successful coup ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, forcing her to flee the country as an enraged mob approached her residence. In the wake of the coup, Islamists exploited the unrest to launch violent attacks on the Hindu community, leading to numerous deaths, rapes, and the destruction of Hindu homes, shops, and temples, many of which were set on fire. House and office of businessman Deepak Saha, leader of Puja Celebration Council in Lakshmipur was attacked, vandalised and looted. The houses of Nakul Kumar and Suhsanta in Agarupur village of Kuliarchar in Koshorganj were burnt. The House of Ujjal Chakraborty in Rauzan of Chattogram was attacked and looted.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

The case has been placed under the prime category of- Attack not resulting in death, of the tracker. Within this, the sub-category selected is- Attacked for Hindu identity. In several cases, Hindus are attacked merely for their Hindu identity without any perceived provocation. A classic example of this category of religiously motivated hate crime is a murder in 2016. 7 ISIS terrorists were convicted for shooting a school principal in Kanpur because they got ‘triggered’ seeing the Kalava on his wrist and tilak that he had put. In this, the Hindu victim had offered no provocation except for his Hindu religious identity. The motivation for the murder was purely religious, driven by religious supremacy. Such cases where Hindus are targeted merely for their religious identity would be documented as a hate crime under this category. The removal of Sheikh Hasina from power in Bangladesh on August 5 escalated the persecution and marginalisation of the Hindu minority in the predominantly Islamic nation, intensifying what can be described as a silent genocide. Since her ouster, Islamists have carried out unchecked atrocities against Hindus, including physical violence, the destruction of temples and religious symbols, and the systematic displacement of Hindus from their ancestral lands. Over 205 attacks on Hindu temples, shops, and businesses have been recorded following Sheikh Hasina's removal as Prime Minister. Many Hindus have been brutally murdered or injured in these assaults. Amidst this, details emerged about how the house and office of a Hindu businessman-Deepak Saha, was attacked, vandalised and looted. Similarly, the houses of two other minority Hindus living in the Muslim-majority nation of Bangladesh- Nakul Kumar and Suhsanta, were burnt. Likewise, the House of Ujjal Chakraborty in Rauzan of Chattogram was also attacked and looted. These acts specifically singled out Hindus for their religious identity, forming part of a coordinated effort to intimidate and suppress the community. Such incidents are not isolated but rather indicative of a broader pattern of systemic hostility. The targeted nature of these attacks reflects a deep-seated animosity harboured by Islamists toward the Hindu faith, which underscores why this case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime.