Hindu devotees attacked while protecting century old temple from vandalism and land encroachment amidst ongoing persecution of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh

Case ID : 30a94bc | Location : Feni, Chittagong Division, Bangladesh | Date of Incident : Sat, 4 July, 2026

Case ID : 30a94bc

Feni, Chittagong Division, Bangladesh

4 July, 2026

Hindu devotees attacked while protecting century old temple from vandalism and land encroachment amidst ongoing persecution of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh

Attack on Hindu religious representations

Attack on Temples

Encroachment or illicit takeover of temple land/land near temple

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victim

Case Summary

A Hindu temple in Fulgazi Upazila of Feni district, Bangladesh, was vandalised during an attempt to seize its land, leaving several Hindu devotees injured when they resisted the destruction. The attack targeted the century old Dol Temple, a place of worship that had served the local Hindu community for generations. The violence unfolded amid a dispute over the temple property and resulted in damage to the temple as well as serious injuries to Hindu devotees. The incident took place in the Banikpara area of Fulgazi Upazila, where local Hindus had worshipped at the historic Dol Temple for decades. On 5th July 2026, a Muslim group comprising Sajeeb Banik, Swarup Banik, Jhumur Banik, Nupur Banik, Rupayan Banik and others arrived at the temple and began demolishing a section of the structure. The demolition was carried out with the intention of occupying part of the temple land and converting it into a road, directly affecting Hindu religious property and the community's place of worship. When Hindu devotees, temple caretakers, and members of the Banik family attempted to stop the demolition, a confrontation broke out at the temple premises. The situation quickly escalated into a violent attack on the Hindu devotees. During the assault, Sanjeev Banik sustained serious injuries after being struck with a country made weapon. Apurba Banik, Ratna Banik, Shilpi Chowdhury, and several other Hindu devotees were also injured in the attack. The injured were initially taken to Fulgazi Upazila Health Complex before being shifted to Feni Sadar Hospital for further treatment due to the severity of their injuries. The attack followed a prolonged dispute over the temple property. Members of the Hindu community stated that those responsible had attempted for an extended period to seize the temple land and had repeatedly intimidated and issued death threats to members of the Banik family. On the day of the incident, Hindu devotees intervened when the perpetrators began demolishing the rear portion of the temple. They were subsequently assaulted with weapons, while part of the temple structure was vandalised before the perpetrators left the scene. Following the attack, Gina Banik filed a case at Fulgazi Police Station against ten individuals, including Sajeeb Banik and Swarup Banik, for their involvement in the attack and the vandalism of the temple. Police confirmed that the case had been registered with FIRs against ten people, and stated that the incident would be investigated and further legal action would follow. The attack occurred against the backdrop of escalating hostility towards Hindus in Bangladesh. 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 18th 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 underscored 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 suggested 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 representations. Within 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 other sub-category selected for this case is - Encroachment or illicit takeover of temple land or land near 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. Not only the Temple but the Temple premises in its entirety are considered sacred by Hindus. In several cases, the premises of the Temple and/or religious centre are illicitly taken over by institutions belonging to other faiths – like the Waqf board or the Church. Other times, the temple property, land or the property of religious centres are illicitly encroached by non-Hindu groups. Any illicit take over or encroachment is a crime an initio, however, when non-Hindu groups illicitly take over or encroach the sacred land of Hindus, it is an affront to the Hindu community and is therefore classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. Another primary category selected for this case is - Attack not resulting in death, with the subcategory being - Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victim. In several cases, Hindus are attacked for opposing religiously motivated crimes being committed against a fellow Hindu or simply for voicing an opinion opposing radical elements, who either have in the past or continue to persecute Hindus. In such cases, the initial attack against the victim, against which the Hindu was trying to defend the victim, would also need to be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime. Since the initial crime itself was religiously motivated and the subsequent crime of attempting to save the victim or speaking against the radical elements ends up inviting a violent attack, it would also be classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. This case constituted a religiously motivated hate crime because the Muslim perpetrators deliberately targeted a Hindu temple and its sacred land, followed by a violent assault on Hindu devotees who attempted to protect their place of worship. The attack was not directed at an ordinary piece of property but at a centuries old Hindu temple that served as the spiritual centre of the local Hindu community. The deliberate choice to vandalise a Hindu religious site and attack those defending it demonstrated hostility towards Hindu religious identity and the community's right to practise its faith. Within the wider context of escalating anti Hindu persecution in Bangladesh, where Hindus constitute a vulnerable religious minority, the incident reflected an intentional attack on a protected religious community and its sacred institutions. The first and most significant religious marker in this case was the deliberate targeting of a Hindu temple. For Hindus, a temple is the abode of the deity and one of the holiest spaces in their religious life. It is where daily worship, festivals, religious ceremonies, and community gatherings take place, making it central to both spiritual practice and cultural identity. The temple and its surrounding land together form a sacred religious space, with every part of the premises carrying religious significance. By demolishing part of the temple and attempting to alter its premises without the consent of the Hindu community or any recognised lawful religious process, the Muslim perpetrators displayed complete disregard for the sanctity of a Hindu place of worship. Their actions demonstrated that Hindu religious sentiments were treated as insignificant and expendable. Choosing a Hindu temple as the object of destruction was not incidental. It reflected a deliberate decision to interfere with a sacred religious institution, damage a symbol of Hindu faith, and undermine the Hindu community's ability to freely preserve and practise its religion. The attempted encroachment and illicit takeover of temple land further reinforced the religious motivation behind the attack. Temple land is inseparable from the functioning of a Hindu place of worship and is preserved for religious activities, devotional gatherings, festivals, and the maintenance of the temple itself. The attempt to appropriate part of this sacred land for the construction of a road without the consent of the Hindu custodians disregarded both the religious importance of the site and the rights of the Hindu community to maintain its place of worship. The perpetrators chose land attached to a Hindu temple rather than an ordinary parcel of property, demonstrating that the religious character of the location was central to their actions. Such conduct conveyed the message that Hindu religious spaces could be altered, diminished, or appropriated despite their sacred status. By treating a holy site as land that could simply be taken over for secular use, the perpetrators diminished the sanctity of Hindu religious property and targeted a core symbol of Hindu identity. Another significant indicator of religious motivation was the violent assault on Hindu devotees who attempted to prevent the destruction of their temple. Rather than allowing the Hindu community to peacefully safeguard its place of worship, the Muslim perpetrators responded with physical violence against those protecting their religious heritage. The victims were attacked precisely because they stood in defence of a Hindu temple and sought to preserve their sacred space from desecration. This demonstrated that even the peaceful assertion of Hindu religious rights attracted violent retaliation. The attack sent a broader message that Hindus could not defend their places of worship or exercise their religious freedoms without risking physical harm. Such violence extended beyond the immediate victims and served to intimidate the wider Hindu minority, creating fear around protecting temples and openly practising their faith. The broader environment in which this incident occurred further strengthened its religious character. Bangladesh has witnessed sustained attacks against Hindu temples, religious institutions, homes, and communities during successive waves of anti Hindu violence, particularly following the political upheaval of August 2024, the violence after the death of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi in December 2025, and the attacks that followed the 13th National Parliamentary Election in 2026. Within this environment, Hindu places of worship have repeatedly become focal points for intimidation, vandalism, and organised hostility. Against this backdrop, the deliberate targeting of a Hindu temple, the attempted encroachment upon its sacred land, and the violent assault on Hindu devotees defending it cannot be viewed in isolation. They formed part of a continuing pattern in which members of Bangladesh's Hindu minority were targeted because of their religious identity, while their sacred institutions were subjected to intimidation and desecration. Given Bangladesh's sustained anti-Hindu persecution environment, this case meets all thresholds for inclusion in the Hinduphobia Tracker's hate crime database. Disclaimer: The Hinduphobia Tracker acknowledges that multiple Hindu devotees were injured during the attack on the century old Dol Temple while attempting to protect the temple from vandalism and encroachment. However, as only Sanjeev Banik, Apurba Banik, Ratna Banik, and Shilpi Chowdhury were explicitly identified in the available reports, the victim count has been recorded as 4, while noting that several additional unnamed Hindu devotees were also injured during the incident.