Adivasi students attacked by Muslims students in Bangladesh

Case Summary
In Dhaka, Bangladesh, Adivasi students protesting the removal of the term "Adivasi" from textbooks were attacked by members of the Bengali Muslim group "Students for Sovereignty" near the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) office. The Adivasi students, part of the Songkhubda Adivasi Chhatra Janata group, opposed changes to the back cover of the 9th and 10th-grade Bangla Grammar and Composition textbook. The original cover featured a tree symbolizing harmony among communities, including Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, and Adivasis. Islamic Chhatra Shibir members from the opposing group had earlier demanded the removal of the imagery and term, deeming it seditious. On January 17, the Adivasi students marched from Dhaka University to the NCTB office. Anticipating a confrontation, police attempted to separate the groups, but clashes erupted. Armed with sticks, the Students for Sovereignty group overpowered the police and attacked the Adivasi students, injuring several. Eleven students were hurt, with two sustaining serious injuries and being admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Among the injured were Rupaya Shresta Tacnchongya, Ishaba Renyoung Mro, and Juwel Mark. The attackers were identified as key leaders of the Students for Sovereignty, including Mohammed Abu Sadiq Qayem, S M Farhad, and Mohammed Yakub Majumdar. Since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024, Bangladesh witnessed escalating violence and chaos. Islamist extremists exploited the political instability to target the Hindu community with widespread attacks. Reports indicated that Hindu homes were attacked and burned, and women were abducted. The destruction of several temples further aggravated the situation, contributing to a climate of fear and uncertainty among the Hindu minority community.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the category of- 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 Adivasi students were attacked for protesting the removal of the term "Adivasi" from textbooks, a change demanded by Islamist groups who labelled the term and its associated imagery as "seditious," because they had a problem with their Hindu religious identity. This reflects deep-seated hostility toward non-Muslim communities, particularly Hindus, as the term "Adivasi" symbolises their ethnic and religious identity. The violent response to the protest underscores how expressing a Hindu identity is perceived as seditious by extremists of a Muslim-majority state since being non-Muslim itself goes against the foundations of a theocratic state based on Islam. By targeting the Adivasi students, the attackers not only attempted to suppress their protest but also reinforced the view that non-Muslim identities, especially Hindu ones, have no place in the socio-political fabric of the Muslim-majority state. This act of violence, motivated by religious and ethnic animosity, highlights the systemic marginalisation faced by Hindus in Bangladesh and qualifies as a religiously motivated hate crime aimed at erasing their identity and suppressing their rights.

Case Status
Complaint registered

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
N/A
Perpetrators Gender
unknown