Targeted religious persecution of Bangladeshi Hindus downplayed and whitewashed by German media
Germany 
18 August, 2024
Case Summary
The religious persecution of Bangladeshi Hindus by Muslim extremists was whitewashed by Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany’s state‑owned broadcaster. The accused media outlet downplayed the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh and attributed the violence to political motivations rather than religious hatred. In a video published on 19th August 2024, DW described the reports of violence against Hindu temples circulating on social media as false information, accusing Indian users of spreading misinformation. The video featured an 'expert', Thomas Kean, who stated that the motives behind the attacks were 'uncertain' and possibly linked to political rivalry, given the Awami League’s reputation as a protector of the Hindu minority. It claimed, “According to experts, many of the incidents were in part politically motivated against members of the formerly governing Awami League Party, but also out of opportunistic reasons, as law enforcement was basically non‑existent in those days. And secondly, Hindus make up almost 8% of Bangladesh, a minority in the Muslim‑majority nation. The former prime minister has seen as Awami League has been seen as the main protector of minority communities like Hindus.” DW News ignored the religious targeting of Hindus by framing the events solely as politically driven and downplaying the involvement of violent Muslim mobs in selectively targeting and attacking Hindus. The broadcaster also claimed that India’s close diplomatic relations with the Bangladeshi government could be influencing the spread of 'online narratives'. Its coverage was an attempt to divert attention away from the religious dimension of the violence. It stated, “And Indian Prime Minister Modi and Hasina have close political ties. India views events in Bangladesh as a problem for security, trade and influence. So, different groups in India might have their own interests in sharing such content.” DW News referred to an arson attack on the Hazrat Garib Shah Mazar Sharif in Jessore, Bangladesh, which it claimed had been circulated on social media as an attack on a Hindu temple. The broadcast said, “In this video, a Hindu temple in Bangladesh is seen burning. The video has over 280,000 views, but it is false. Videos of burning Hindu temples or houses were shared and viewed thousands of times during the deadly protests in Bangladesh. A lot of such attacks have actually been happening in Bangladesh, but not every report is accurate.” However, DW News glossed over the fact that the majority of Sunni Muslims in Bangladesh regard Mazar‑worshipping Muslims as heretics and view them as adversaries, much like Hindus. By using the burning of a Mazar to downplay the targeted persecution of Hindus, DW News demonstrated a clear religious bias in its reporting.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Hate Speech against Hindus. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Anti-Hindu subversion and prejudice. The tertiary category selected is- Anti-Hindu fake news or downplaying. Hate speech is defined as any speech, gesture, conduct, writing, or display that is prejudicial against a specific individual and/or group of people, which is leading to or may lead to violence, prejudicial action or hate against that individual and/or group. Media plays a specific and overarching reach in perpetuating prejudicial attitudes towards a community owing to unfair, untrue coverage and/or misrepresentation/misinterpretation, selective coverage and/or omission of facts of/pertaining to issues affecting a specific religious group. This type of bias can dehumanise the victim group, making it easier for others to justify harmful actions against them, which aligns with the objectives of hate speech laws aimed at preventing such harm. It is often observed that the media takes a prejudicial stand against the Hindu community driven by their need to shield the aggressor community which happens to be a numeric minority, however, is the one perpetrating violence against Hindus. For example, the media is often quick to contextualise religiously motivated crimes against Hindus, omit or misrepresent facts that point towards religiously motivated hate crimes, justify and/or downplay religiously motivated hate crimes or simply present fake news to stereotype Hindus. Such media bias leads to the denial of persecution and is often used to dehumanise Hindus, leading to justification for violence against them. For example, the media covered several fake allegations of Hindus targeting Muslims and forcing them to chant Jai Shree Ram. Most of these cases were proved false and fabricated after police investigation. These fake news reports were subsequently never retracted or clarified. Such fake news led to the justification of violence and dehumanisation of Hindus based on the argument that since Hindus targeted Muslims and forced them to chant Jai Shree Ram, the dehumanisation of Hindus and violence against them was par for the course and merely a retaliation. Such media bias leads to prejudicial portrayal of Hindus and offers a justification for violence against them and therefore, is considered hate speech under this category. The downplaying of targeted systemic violence against Hindus in Bangladesh by Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany’s state-owned broadcaster, constitutes an instance of hate crime denial and religiously motivated bias. By framing the ongoing persecution of Bangladeshi Hindus as politically motivated rather than religiously targeted, DW effectively whitewashed the gravity and nature of the attacks. This intentional reframing erases the religious identity of the victims, who were targeted precisely because they were Hindus. Such editorial manipulation diminishes the seriousness of religious violence and rejects recognition of Hindus as victims of religious persecution. When a global broadcaster suppresses the religious motive behind mass atrocities, it perpetuates misinformation and normalises violence against the minority Hindu community. This act of denial itself becomes part of the cycle of hate, contributing to the continued dehumanisation and marginalisation of Hindus in Bangladesh. Since the political and religious upheaval following Sheikh Hasina’s ousting on 5th August 2024, Hindus across Bangladesh faced targeted assaults, the vandalism of temples, desecration of idols, and widespread campaigns of intimidation. The violence was deeply religious in nature—Hindus were singled out, their homes and places of worship destroyed, their faith mocked, their women raped, and their men and children brutally murdered. By portraying this systematic persecution as a mere product of political rivalry rather than open religious hatred, Deutsche Welle (DW) dismissed the lived reality of thousands of victims and undermined their ongoing struggle for recognition and justice. Denying such atrocities trivialised the suffering of the Hindu community, eroded public empathy, and emboldened the perpetrators who sought to disguise their religiously motivated crimes under the pretext of political conflict. The damage inflicted by this distortion is profound: it weakens international awareness, obstructs timely intervention, and sustains a culture of impunity for Islamic extremists. Furthermore, DW’s act of blaming India and Indians for raising concerns about Hindu persecution, and labelling such reports as the spread of false information, rather than holding Muslim extremist groups accountable, exposed deep‑seated animosity towards Hindus as a global community. This deliberate attempt to divert attention from the perpetrators and focus instead on India’s political relations with Bangladesh reflected a prejudiced framing intended to delegitimise Hindu victims and discredit those advocating for them. Instead of condemning the attackers, DW’s coverage portrayed Hindus and their supporters as purveyors of misinformation—an accusation rooted in religious bias and distortion. By suggesting that the issue of Hindu persecution was fabricated or politically motivated, DW dismissed substantial evidence of violence, displacement, and temple desecration documented throughout Bangladesh. This kind of narrative manipulation mirrors classic patterns of hate speech: victim‑blaming, concealing religious motives, and minimising systemic persecution by portraying it as propaganda. This pattern of narrative distortion is not merely journalism gone wrong—it constitutes a form of religiously motivated hate speech. By undermining verified reports of religious violence and silencing Hindu voices, DW contributed to the erasure of a vulnerable minority’s suffering. The refusal to identify the perpetrators’ religious motivations sanitised the image of violent Muslim extremists while portraying Hindu concerns as deceptive or politically self-serving. This narrative manipulation promotes anti-Hindu prejudice on a global scale, fuelling hostility and disbelief towards a community facing persecution. When influential international media outlets participate in such denial, it normalises religious intolerance, silences victims, and sustains the cycle of hate. The coverage, therefore, stands as a blatant example of anti-Hindu hate speech and the institutionalised dismissal of a minority faith’s suffering. Contrary to DW's claim, Hinduphobia Tracker documented several instances of Hindus being targeted for their religious identity in Bangladesh following Sheikh Hasina’s exile. On 5th August 2024, in the Pirojpur district, Hindus were brutally attacked by a Muslim mob. Hindu homes were selectively targeted, attacked, and looted. A Hindu woman was also brutally gang-raped by members of the Muslim mob. In another instance, Jhenaidah saw extensive violence with ongoing attacks, vandalism, and looting at the homes of 10 Hindu families in Chaklapara municipality. Hindu shops in Kotchandpur were also attacked and looted. In Tilpatti, Bargola, 5-7 Hindu shops were attacked, vandalised, and looted. Similarly, the house of Dr Gautam Kumar Mondal in Sahapukur village, Dupchanchia Upazila, was attacked and looted. The house of Sahadev Roy in Sonadia, Hatiya, Noakhali, was attacked and looted. In Thakurgaon, Hindu homes in the Sadar were attacked, vandalised, and looted. Additionally, in ward 2 of Pirganj, the cremation temple was attacked and burnt. In Patuakhali, the Radha Govinda Temple in Kuakata was attacked and vandalised. The house of Ananta Mukherjee was attacked, vandalised, and looted. Hindu homes in wards 2 and 3 of the Sadar, Panchagarh, were attacked, vandalised, and looted. The deliberate targeting of Hindus, as an oppressed minority, and the media’s failure to accurately report this reality is emblematic of anti-Hindu bias—one that dehumanises the victims and obscures the true nature of the genocide the Hindu community endures. This deliberate distortion and minimisation of anti-Hindu violence not only silences the victims but also emboldens Muslim extremists and undermines efforts for justice and protection of Hindus. Given that this case meets the parameters of a hate speech targeting Hindus, it is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker. Note: The Hinduphobia Tracker has documented several cases of religious persecution of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. To read these cases, please visit our official website- hinduphobiatracker.org.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Others
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
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Sources 
