Genocide calls made against Hindus by Bangladeshi Muslims extremists and they demand 'total malaun death'
Bangladesh 
29 November, 2024
Case Summary
In Bangladesh, the persecution of minorities escalated, with social media platforms flooded with posts calling for the annihilation of Hindus. Islamists on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) circulated images with the religious slur TMD (Total Malaun Death), where Malaun is a dehumanising term for Hindus. Over 200,000 posts using the hashtag #TMD emerged since the ousting of Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina in August, a period marked by intensified anti-minority violence. Islamists used platforms like Facebook and X to normalise atrocities against Hindus, using Malaun as a derogatory equivalent to kaafir. Viral posts endorsing TMD included insults targeting the Indian flag, further rallying extremists against Hindu minorities. Social media’s ability to mobilise like-minded individuals has been exploited by religious extremists to promote their agendas. Despite pleas on X urging interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus to protect minorities, the government showed little willingness to confront Islamist benefactors, allowing mobs to attack businesses, places of worship, and residential areas. The situation worsened following the arrest of ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, a prominent Hindu leader advocating for minority rights. The Bangladeshi government, in a High Court affidavit, labelled ISKCON a “religious fundamentalist group,” highlighting the grim reality for Hindus in the country.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added as a religiously motivated hate crime under the prime category- Hate speech against Hindus, of the database. Under this, the first sub-category selected is- Call for genocide/violence against Hindus/specific sects of Hindus. Hate speech is defined as any speech, gesture, conduct, writing, or display that is prejudicial against a specific individual and/or group of people, which is leading to or may lead to violence, prejudicial action or hate against that individual and/or group. Often, animosity against Hindus or a specific panth/sampradaya/group of Hindus or a specific ideology they hold manifests itself into hate speech and calls for genocide/violence against that specific section of Hindus. For example, it has often been seen that those who hold animosity against the Hindu faith use specific sects/sampradaya/pant of Hindus as a proxy to express hate against Hindus as a whole. It has been seen that the word ‘Hindutva’ has been used to call for violence against those who say they believe in ‘Hindutva’. It is observed that ‘Hindutva’ is only used as a proxy to call for violence against Hindus as a whole, as seen in the Dismantling Global Hindutva conference where speakers admitted that ‘Hindutva’ cannot be eradicated till ‘Hinduism’ is eradicated. The eradication of an entire faith, in turn, is a genocidal call against the entire community that practices that faith. Further, it is also observed that violence against a specific section of Hindus is made, justifying these calls by weaving exaggerated tales of historical injustices. Often, those who hold animosity towards Hindus and their faith attempt to make their animosity more palatable by justifying their hate for a specific section, claiming that they are against that particular section because of their faith in the broader community and the religion they process. Such calls for violence against specific sections of Hindus, as mentioned, is a proxy for their animosity against the entire community and the faith they profess, and therefore, would be considered hate speech under this category. The second sub-category selected here- Violent threats. Violent threats, explicit, implicit or implied, is the most dangerous form of hate speech since it goes beyond discriminatory and prejudicial language to express the intent of causing harm to an individual or a group of people based on their religious identity and faith. There could be several different kinds of threats that are issued to Hindus based on religious animosity. An explicit threat would mean the direct threat of violence towards an individual Hindu, a group of Hindus or Hindus at large. Physical violence, death threats, threats of destruction of property belonging to Hindus and threats of genocide would mean explicit threats against Hindus for their religious identity. Implicit threats may not be a direct threat but implied through the use of symbols of actions – for example – in the Nupur Sharma case, other than explicit threats, there were also implicit threats when Islamists took to the streets to burn and beat her effigies. It implies that they want to do the same to Nupur Sharma – thereby is considered an implicit threat. Violent threats can be delivered in person, through letters, phone calls, graffiti, or increasingly through social media and other online platforms. It would be important to understand that a threat – explicit or implicit, online or offline – to an individual who happens to be a Hindu does not qualify as a religiously motivated threat. Such a threat, while vile and dangerous, could be owing to non-religious reasons and/or personal animosity. To qualify as a religiously motivated threat, it would need to exhibit an indication that the individual is being targeted for religious reasons and/or owing to his/her religious identity as a Hindu. This case has been categorized as a hate crime under the category of "Call for genocide/violence against Hindus/specific sects of Hindus" due to the widespread use of social media platforms to incite violence and promote the annihilation of Hindus. The circulation of the hashtag #TMD, along with the use of the dehumanizing term "Malaun," directly targets Hindus, encouraging their dehumanization and calling for their eradication. The posts, which call for the total death of Hindus, are a clear example of a coordinated effort to incite violence and hatred toward a specific religious community. By normalizing the idea of violence against Hindus and dehumanizing them, these actions fuel extremist ideologies that can lead to further physical violence and genocide. This case highlights the deliberate incitement of violence and the growing climate of hatred against Hindus, with a clear intent to target and eliminate them, making it a classic example of religiously motivated hate crime under the specified category.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
