Temple attacked by violent Muslim mob amid large-scale persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh

Case ID : 0b677b1 | Location : Patuakhali District, Bangladesh | Date of Incident : Sun, 4 August, 2024

Case ID : 0b677b1

Patuakhali District, Bangladesh

4 August, 2024

Temple attacked by violent Muslim mob amid large-scale persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh

Attack on Hindu religious representations

Attack on Temples

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. In Patuakhali, the Radha Govinda Temple in Kuakata was attacked and vandalised. The house of Ananta Mukherjee was attacked, vandalised, and looted. Minority homes in wards 2 and 3 of the Sadar, Panchagarh, were attacked, vandalised, and looted.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added under two prime categories of the tracker. The first is- Attack on Hindu religious representations, under which, the sub-category selected is- Attack on Temples. In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Given the central significance of Temples in Hindu Dharma, any attack against a Hindu Temple or its peripheral premises is an attack on the faith itself and is born out of animosity towards the faith, of which, the Temple is a central tenet. Any manner of attack against a Temple and/or its premises would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The second category under which this case has been placed is- Attack not resulting in death. Under 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. This report underscores the deliberate targeting of Hindus in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, highlighting how a Hindu Temple, namely the Radha Govinda Temple in Kuakata was attacked and vandalised. It also highlights the targeting of a Hindu named Ananta Mukherjee. The Hindu was singled out specifically for his religious identity. These incidents are not isolated but part of a coordinated effort to intimidate and suppress Hindus. This broader pattern of persecution reflects the systemic hostility faced by Hindus. This sort of attack specifically targeting Hindus and their places of worship stems from a deep-seated animosity Islamists harbour towards the Hindu faith, which is why this case has been categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime.