Indian Hindu boy assaulted by Muslim mob after confirming his religion

Case ID : 595485a | Location : Dhaka, Dhaka District, Bangladesh | Date of Incident : Mon, 25 November, 2024

Case ID : 595485a

Dhaka, Dhaka District, Bangladesh

25 November, 2024

Indian Hindu boy assaulted by Muslim mob after confirming his religion

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Case Summary

Sayan Ghosh, a resident of Belghoria, Kolkata, West Bengal, was assaulted by a mob in Dhaka’s Jurain area during a visit to the market with a friend. According to Ghosh, a group of five to six individuals confronted him, inquiring about his nationality and religion. Upon learning that he was an Indian and a Hindu, the mob attacked him, injuring his face with a knife and striking his head with a stone. Ghosh said he would have lost his eyesight as the goons swiped a knife in front of his face. Ghosh expressed shock not only at the violence but also at the lack of assistance from bystanders, who instead questioned him and failed to intervene. He also reported inadequate medical attention following the attack. Ghosh’s father, Sukanto Ghosh, confirmed the trauma his son endured and stated plans to seek medical care and lodge a complaint with the Indian High Commission. The incident, which occurred left Sayan and his friend further harassed. His friend, who was also attacked during the assault, had his phone and money stolen. Later, local authorities and residents allegedly intimidated the friend’s family for hosting an Indian citizen, warning that their lives could be in danger. After spending a few days recovering at his friend’s home, Sayan returned to Belghoria, deeply shaken by the ordeal.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the primary category 'Attack not resulting in death' under the sub-category '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. In this case, the Hindu victims were assaulted by a Muslim mob after the mob confirmed the victims' religious identity. It was after they knew that the victim was a Hindu and an Indian that they started assaulting him with a knife and stones. The fact that the assault was a result of his religious identity itself confirms that the crime was religiously motivated and a result of deep hostility towards Hinduism, its representations and its adherents. It can be argued that since the mob also identified him with his nationality - it is possible that the attack was motivated by their animosity towards India, rather than the victims' Hindu identity. It is pertinent to note that Muslim extremists harbour specific animosity towards Hindus and their faith and also view India as a Hindu collectivity. The very basis of the partition of India was that the Muslims believed that Islam was a nation unto itself, which could not survive with a Hindu collectivity like India. Further, Muslims often believe in transnational unity - or the Ummah - which is a belief that all Muslims across the world are a nation unto themselves and therefore, loyalty as far as the nation-state is concerned lies with the Muslim collectivity and not with a Hindu collectivity like India. This would also mean that the attack by a Muslim mob after confirming the victims' Indian nationalist is about hailing a Muslim collectivity and an expression of transnational loyalty and anti-Hindu sentiments. Further, the attack came amidst the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Hindus in Bangladesh by the Muslim population, aided by the state of Bangladesh and its interim government. 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, Muslim mobs 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. In Shayestaganj Bazaar, Habiganj, there was a violent attack, vandalism, and looting at the shop of Asit Baran Das, the president of the Upazila Unity Council. Minority homes in Lohagara, Narail, were subjected to an attack that included vandalism, looting, and harassment, causing significant distress and damage. The ethnic cleansing of Hindus which started after the coup has continued with murders, rapes, temples being attacked and heinous atrocities being committed against Hindus.