Muslims sing proselytising Islamic song in Chittagong's Durga Puja mandap
Chittagong District, Bangladesh 
9 October, 2024
Case Summary
On the evening of October 10, 2024, a group of Muslim men disrupted the sanctity of a Durga Puja mandap in Chittagong, Bangladesh, by forcibly singing Islamic songs. The incident occurred at the JM Sen Hall Puja Mandap, where the men, identified as members of the Chittagong Cultural Academy, took to the stage and performed the Islamic proselytising song “Shudhu Musolmaner Lagi Aseniko Islam,” which translates to “Islam did not come to light only for Muslims.” Despite having been assured that the group would perform only patriotic songs, Sajal Dutta, the joint secretary of the Chattogram Puja Celebration Council, allowed the men to take the stage without seeking permission for the proselytising performance. In response to the incident, Atheist writer Taslima Nasreen, criticised the actions, posing a question about the reaction if Hindus were to chant “Hare Ram Hare Krishna” during prayers in mosques. The Chittagong Cultural Academy attempted to rationalise their actions, claiming the song was meant to promote “harmony.” Academy President Selim Jaman stated that six members had performed a patriotic song and one promoting unity that mentioned Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians. However, the actions were perceived as a blatant disregard for the cultural significance of the Durga Puja celebrations. Following the incident, members of the Hindu community took to the stage in protest, demanding action against the six individuals involved. In response to the public outcry, Chittagong Deputy Commissioner Farida Khanam visited the Puja pandal and assured the community that the perpetrators would be arrested within the next 24 to 48 hours. Sajal Dutta was subsequently expelled from his position within the Puja committee. In the aftermath, Jamaat-e-Islami, a prominent Islamist political party in Bangladesh, claimed that the six Muslim men who disrupted the Durga Puja mandap were not affiliated with the party or its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, therefore distancing themselves from the incident.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category- Attack on Hindu religious symbols and under this, the sub-category selected is- Defiling religious customs. Sanatan Dharma is not a religion of one book, which is to say that while it has religious scriptures that form the central tenets of the faith, there are several traditions followed through thousands of years, mostly passed from generation to generation orally. There are several such customs and traditions that are followed by various Hindus and Hindu sects. Defiling of these traditions and customs is a breach of an individual or group’s religious practices. Such practices can range from dietary restrictions like not eating non-vegetarian food for a certain period of the year, not eating non-vegetarian food at all, not eating beef since the cow is considered holy in Hinduism, the sanctity of religious customs followed in the house (like many ISCKON devotees), etc. Any malicious action leading to the breach of such traditions or defilement of these traditions owing to animosity towards the faith or for the sake of activism stems not only from the lack of faith in the religion itself but also from disregard for the faith of the devotees who follow the customs/traditions and implicit bias against the faith, the tradition itself. Since these specific traditions are central to the faith of the devotees of that specific sect of Hindus, any non-compliance with these traditional rules would be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The incident at the Durga Puja mandap in Chittagong, where Muslim men disrupted the celebrations by singing an Islamic proselytizing song is an example of defiling religious customs driven by religious hostility. The choice to perform a song that promotes Islam during a Hindu religious event demonstrates an intent to desecrate sacred places of Hindu worship. Such actions stem from an animosity towards Hindus and their culture and beliefs. Given that the fundamental motivation behind these actions is contempt for the Hindu religion, this instance has been added to the tracker under the following category.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 5 to 10
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
