Hindu temple vandalised, Murti of Goddess Kali broken and discarded, members of indigenous Hindu community attacked

Case ID : 30a7ee0 | Location : Dinajpur District, Bangladesh | Date of Incident : Tue, 21 April, 2026

Case ID : 30a7ee0

Dinajpur District, Bangladesh

21 April, 2026

Hindu temple vandalised, Murti of Goddess Kali broken and discarded, members of indigenous Hindu community attacked

Attack on Hindu religious representations

Attack on Temples

Desecration of Hindu religious symbol

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Case Summary

In Birganj Upazila of Bangladesh's Dinajpur district, Hindus were targeted in a violent attack that included the vandalism of a Kali temple in Ghorabanda village under Poltapur Union. According to local sources, a group of around 150 to 200 Muslims, reportedly led by Rezaul, son of Kader, and Azad, son of Azgar Sahaji, carried out the attack. The mob specifically targeted Hindu religious and community spaces, vandalising a Kali temple located at a cremation ground and desecrating the Murti of Goddess Kali by breaking it and throwing it into a nearby cornfield. The incident was linked to an attempt to forcibly take over land associated with the Hindu community’s cremation and burial grounds. Following the temple attack, the mob also attempted to cut trees and seize additional land belonging to Hindus. When local Hindu residents resisted, the situation escalated into violence. Before initiating the land grab, the attackers entered the home of Pius Murmu (45), son of Mangal Murmu, assaulted him, and set his house on fire to create fear and panic within the Hindu community. During the violence, a Hindu man named Bishwanath, also known as Bhonda (30), son of Ganesh Soren, was shot in the chest with an arrow. He was later rescued in an injured condition and admitted to Birganj Health Complex for treatment. Upon receiving information, the Officer-in-Charge of Birganj Police Station, Saiful Islam, along with other officers, reached the spot and brought the situation under control. The Assistant Commissioner (Land) and Executive Magistrate, Dipankar Barman, also visited the site, and additional police forces were deployed to maintain order. Police confirmed that at least one person was injured in the incident, while tensions remained high in the area following the targeted attack on Hindu religious and community spaces. This incident is part of an ongoing pattern of violence against Hindus in Bangladesh, where the community has repeatedly faced persecution and disruptions to their religious festivals and gatherings. Such attacks on Hindu minorities have become increasingly frequent and intensified since August 2024. This escalation of violence against Hindus in Bangladesh has unfolded in three distinct phases: first, following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024; second, after the death of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi in December 2025; and third, in the immediate aftermath of the 13th National Parliamentary Election 2026. Following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, multiple reports documented attacks on Hindu homes, temples, and religious institutions, alongside intimidation campaigns, arson, and mob assaults targeting minority neighbourhoods. The Hinduphobia tracker has recorded 336 such incidents against the Hindu minority, underscoring the scale and persistence of anti-Hindu violence during this period. A further escalation occurred following the death of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, a Muslim political activist and student leader known for his anti-Hindu and anti-India rhetoric. Hadi had been involved in political unrest after the fall of the Hasina government and was killed in Dhaka on 18 December 2025 during clashes. In the aftermath of his death, Hindu communities were blamed and subsequently targeted in retaliatory violence. Hindu homes were selectively set ablaze in multiple localities, forcing families to flee and leaving many displaced. The attacks appeared patterned rather than sporadic, with Muslim mobs focusing on Hindu neighbourhoods, properties, and religious symbols. Among the victims was Dipu Chandra Das, who was lynched to death and his body was set ablaze by a Muslim mob over false blasphemy allegations. The Hinduphobia tracker documented 51 incidents of anti-Hindu violence in the period following Hadi’s death alone. Such incidents underscore the vulnerability of the Hindu minority amid rising communal hostility and the weaponisation of religious accusations. Reports further indicated that posters and written materials calling for the extermination of Hindus were displayed in public spaces, signalling an alarming normalisation of genocidal rhetoric. When combined with acts of arson, vandalism, assault, and targeted intimidation, these developments suggest a coordinated environment of hostility aimed at terrorising the Hindu community and reinforcing majoritarian dominance. The third phase of violence was unleashed after the 13th National Parliamentary Election 2026. Within days of the announcement of results, Hindu families in districts such as Noakhali, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Sylhet, Thakurgaon, and Dinajpur reported coordinated attacks involving arson, looting, assault, and vandalism of temples and homes. In several instances, Hindu homes were selectively targeted, looted, and families were threatened with displacement.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representation. The first subcategory selected within this is- Attack on temple. 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 subcategory selected is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbol Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The second category selected is- Attack not resulting in death. Within this, the subcategory 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. This case qualifies as a religiously motivated hate crime because Hindu individuals, their place of worship, and their community spaces were deliberately targeted in a coordinated act of violence. The nature of the attack, the choice of targets, and the surrounding context indicate that the violence was directed at Hindus because of their religious identity. A key element establishing religious motivation is the targeting of a Hindu temple and desecration of a deity. The attackers vandalised a Kali temple located within a cremation ground and broke the Murti of Goddess Kali, discarding it in a nearby field. This is significant because Hindu deities are objects of deep reverence and worship. The destruction of a Murti is not merely physical damage but an act that directly insults the religious beliefs of the community. By attacking a temple and desecrating a sacred idol, the perpetrators targeted the spiritual core of Hindu faith. The violence extended beyond the temple to Hindu homes and individuals, indicating that the attack was not limited to property but directed at the community as a whole. The assault on Pius Murmu and the burning of his house demonstrate that the perpetrators sought to create fear and insecurity among Hindus in the area. Similarly, the attack on Bishwanath, who was injured during the violence, shows that individuals were specifically targeted, reinforcing that the victims were chosen based on their identity. Another significant aspect is the attempt to seize land associated with Hindu religious and community use. The attack was linked to efforts to take control of land belonging to the cremation and burial grounds used by the Hindu community. Such spaces hold deep religious and cultural importance, and attempts to encroach upon them directly affect the community’s ability to perform essential rites and maintain their traditions. This indicates that the objective extended beyond immediate violence to long-term displacement and erosion of Hindu presence in the area. The scale and coordinated nature of the attack further reinforce its targeted character. A large group of attackers mobilised together, suggesting planning and collective intent rather than a spontaneous altercation. The fact that the mob first targeted a temple, then moved towards homes and land, reflects a pattern of escalation that is consistent with attempts to intimidate and dominate a vulnerable minority community. The incident must also be viewed within the broader pattern of repeated attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. Similar instances have been documented where Hindu temples, homes, and religious gatherings have been targeted, often in connection with land disputes, communal tensions, or periods of heightened visibility of the Hindu community. This continuity indicates that such attacks are not isolated but form part of a recurring pattern of hostility against Hindus. The impact of the attack goes beyond physical damage. By targeting a temple, desecrating a deity, attacking homes, and attempting to seize land, the perpetrators created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among Hindus. Such acts send a broader message that their religious identity and community spaces are vulnerable, discouraging open expression of faith and threatening their continued presence in the area. Taken together, the deliberate targeting of a Hindu place of worship, the desecration of sacred objects, the attack on Hindu individuals and homes, and the attempt to take over community land establish that the violence was rooted in hostility towards the Hindu community and its religious identity. Accordingly, this case is categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime, as it reflects a targeted attack on Hindus, their faith, and their continued existence in the locality. Disclaimer: The victim count is currently recorded as two based on initial reports. However, the nature of the attack, involving widespread targeting of homes, indicates that the actual number of affected Hindus may be significantly higher. This remains subject to change pending further investigation and verification.