Hindu doctor's pharmacy and temple vandalised amid religious persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh

Case ID : 59548d6 | Location : Faridpur District, Bangladesh | Date of Incident : Sun, 4 August, 2024

Case ID : 59548d6

Faridpur District, Bangladesh

4 August, 2024

Hindu doctor's pharmacy and temple vandalised amid religious persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Attack on Hindu religious representations

Attack on Temples

Desecration of Hindu religious symbol

Case Summary

Since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024, Bangladesh has plunged into chaos as Islamist extremists have taken advantage of the political turmoil to unleash a wave of terror and violence against the Hindu community. The Islamist mobs have attacked Hindu homes, burned them to the ground, and abducted women in a horrific descent into anarchy. Several temples have been destroyed in the area in a major crackdown on Hindus. An attack occurred at the home of 45-year-old Uttam Kumar Roy, a village doctor from Bamundi village in Meghchami Union, Madhukhali. The doctor's pharmacy and the Kali temple at his residence were also vandalized. The incident took place around 8 pm on Monday. Dr Uttam Kumar Roy stated that he was at his pharmacy in Bamundi Bazar when a mob of individuals aged 18 to 35 arrived to assault him. Prior to this, the assailants had attacked the pharmacy of 44-year-old homoeopathy doctor Manoj Kumar Biswas in the market and physically assaulted him. Dr Roy explained that when the attackers attempted to harm him, Meghchami Union Parishad Chairman Sabbir Ruddin Sheikh and Madukhali Sugar Mill Workers Union President Shahin Mia intervened, rescuing him and escorting him to his home. Afterwards, Roy went into hiding with his family. During this time, the assailants attacked his house, looted and vandalized it, and broke idols in the Kali temple. They also damaged other items in the house, including fans, before ransacking his pharmacy in the market.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added as a religiously motivated hate crime under two prime categories of the Hinduphobia tracker. The first is- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, the sub-category 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. The other category under which this case has been placed is- Attack on Hindu religious representations and within this, the first 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 second sub-category selected under the above-mentioned category is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbols. 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 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. Amid this, this report indicates, that Muslim mobs in Bangladesh targeted the homes, workplaces and temples of two Hindu doctors. It is important to emphasize that the attack on the two Hindu men was entirely unprovoked, with their religious identity being the sole trigger for the violence. Moreover, such attacks can be perceived as a larger attack on the entire Hindu community, as the purpose is clearly to send a broader message of hostility towards the community. It is a tactic to intimidate the community; instil fear and disrupt the cohesion and morale of the community. Such attacks are a form of symbolic aggression against the Hindu community that stems from an innate hatred for Hinduism. Further, the Muslims involved in the vandalism were fully aware that Hindu temples are sacred centres of worship for Hindus. By targeting the temple and the idols placed inside the temple in one of the victim's house, they knowingly attacked the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. The purpose behind this was obviously to intimidate, harass, or provoke the victim. Furthermore, it was done primarily to target Hindus, making it a kind of religious harassment worthy of being listed in the tracker.