Hindu temple and houses vandalised by radical Muslims amid large scale persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh

Case ID : 0b677bb | Location : Shariatpur District, Bangladesh | Date of Incident : Sun, 4 August, 2024

Case ID : 0b677bb

Shariatpur District, Bangladesh

4 August, 2024

Hindu temple and houses vandalised by radical Muslims 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. The house of Amiya Prasad in Panchagram Union, Sadar, Lalmonirhat, was attacked, vandalised, and looted. In Mymensingh, a mob attacked the house of Shyamal Pal in Ward 32 of Shambhuganj. Additionally, the house of journalist Dulal Saha in the Sadar was also attacked, vandalised, and looted. In Shariatpur, the Dhanuka Temple in the Sadar was vandalised. Nearby minority homes were attacked, vandalised, and looted.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the database under two prime categories. The first 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 second category under which the case has been placed is- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, 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 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. As part of this large-scale persecution of Hindus, details emerged about how the house of a Hindu man named Amiya Prasad in Panchagram Union, Sadar, Lalmonirhat, was attacked, vandalised, and looted. In Mymensingh, a Muslim mob attacked the house of Shyamal Pal. Additionally, the house of a Hindu journalist named Dulal Saha was also attacked, vandalised, and looted. In addition to this, a Hindu temple was also vandalised by the radical mob. 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. Further, attacks on the premises of a temple that aim to cause harm to the temple or its devotees also demonstrate the inherent Hinduphobia that radical Muslims harbour inside them. For this reason, too, this case qualifies for inclusion in the database.