Advocate defending former ISKCON monk attacked, home vandalised by Muslim mob

Case ID : 5954873 | Location : Bangladesh | Date of Incident : Sun, 1 December, 2024

Case ID : 5954873

Bangladesh

1 December, 2024

Advocate defending former ISKCON monk attacked, home vandalised by Muslim mob

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for opposing radicals or trying to save victim

Attacked for Hindu identity

Case Summary

ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharamn Das reported that advocate Ramen Roy, who defended Bangladesh’s Hindu monk, Chinmoy Krishna Das, was brutally attacked by Islamists in Bangladesh. Roy was assaulted at his residence, his house looted, and his office chamber vandalised. He was admitted to the ICU in critical condition. The office was badly damaged and furniture was destroyed during the attack. Some social media handles shared the photo of a man, reportedly Roy, lying down with bandaged head wounds. Das stated that Roy’s "only fault" was representing Chinmoy Krishna Das in court, where he first defended the monk. The attack highlights the growing risks faced by those advocating for the Hindu minority in Bangladesh.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

The case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, the first sub-category selected is- Attack 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. The second sub-category selected here is- 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. The removal of Sheikh Hasina from power in Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, escalated the persecution and marginalisation of the Hindu minority in the predominantly Islamic nation, intensifying what can be described as a silent genocide. Since her ouster, Islamists have carried out unchecked atrocities against Hindus, including physical violence, the destruction of temples and religious symbols, and the systematic displacement of Hindus from their ancestral lands. Over 205 attacks on Hindu temples, shops, and businesses have been recorded following Sheikh Hasina's removal as Prime Minister. Many Hindus have been brutally murdered or injured in these assaults. Amidst this large-scale persecution of Hindu minorities, advocate Ramen Roy, who was defending Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in Bangladesh, was brutally assaulted. During the attack, his house was looted, and his office chamber vandalized, with furniture destroyed and severe property damage inflicted. His role as a defender of ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, who himself faced baseless charges of sedition, made Roy a target of Islamist aggression. The assault on Roy underscores that he was targeted not only for his role as a defender of a persecuted Hindu monk but also for his own Hindu identity. This dual motive reflects the broader pattern of hostility toward those who oppose radical elements or attempt to save victims of religious persecution. This sort of attack specifically targeting Hindus stems from a deep-seated animosity Islamists harbour towards the Hindus and their faith, which is why this case has been categorised as a religiously motivated hate crime.