Minor Hindu girl abducted by Muslim mob, Muslim student leaders protest for release of arrested accused

Case Summary
In Bandarban, Chattogram, a minor Hindu girl was abducted by Islamists. Police detained a Muslim youth in connection with the case, but Muslim student leaders arrived at the Sadar Police Station demanding his release. The incident occurred during the political chaos following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024. The political instability led to an increase in violence against the Hindu community. Hindu homes were attacked and burned, women were abducted, and several temples in the region were destroyed. The arrest of three Hindu priests further heightened tensions, prompting widespread protests by Hindu minorities across Bangladesh. Protestors demanded justice and protection amidst escalating violence and lawlessness. The attacks on the Hindu community under the new Islamist regime led by Muhammad Yunus highlighted their worsening plight, as the violence showed no signs of abating.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the database under the prime category of- Attack not resulting in death and under this, the sub-category chosen 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. When there is an ongoing ethnic cleansing based on religious identity, every crime in and of itself is assumed to be motivated by the same religious animosity even if there is a lack of specific religious marker in the immediate crime. During an ongoing ethnic cleansing, the dehumanisation of people based on their religious identity and the normalisation of religious hostility drives the crimes committed against them even when there is a lack of stated religious motive. To document the 2024 ethnic cleansing of Hindus in Bangladesh, the Hinduphobia Tracker is assuming religious motivation ab initio. If a case is specifically and beyond reasonable doubt proven to be driven by motivations other than religious hostility, it will be removed from the hate crime database post-facto. Further, this incident qualifies as a religiously motivated hate crime not only because of the abduction of the minor Hindu girl and the widespread violence against the Hindu community but also due to the actions of the Muslim student leaders who demanded the release of the perpetrator. Their intervention reflects a deeper, systemic dehumanization of Hindus. By advocating for the release of someone accused of abducting a Hindu girl, these leaders conveniently dismissed the suffering and rights of Hindus. This action, especially in the context of political instability and escalating violence against Hindus, highlights the blatant disregard for the dignity and humanity of the Hindu community and therefore qualifies to be added to the database.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 0
- Female 1
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 1
Age Group
- Minor 1
- Adult 0
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0

Case Status
Unknown

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
male