Hindu priest’s home attacked, looted and vandalised in Bangladesh amidst rampant Hindu persecution
Dhaka District, Bangladesh 
11 December, 2024
Case Summary
In Ashulia, Savar, Dhaka, a Hindu priest’s home was attacked, vandalised, and looted over a land dispute. The victim, Santosh Bhattacharya, filed a case with the Ashulia Police Station. The victim, over seventy years old, also resides in the same area and works as a priest. The accused in the attack are Md Jahangir Alam, Md Monir Hossain, Md Sanowar Hossain, Md Saiful Islam, Shamim Hossain alias Babu, Md Rocky, Md Jewel, Kanan Bala Sarkar, Dipak Mondal, Dilip Mondal, and four to five unidentified individuals. All of them are residents of Mirjanagar in Ashulia, Savar. According to the complaint, the victim owns a home on 43 decimals of land at CS and SA plot numbers 525, 526, and RS plot numbers 625, 626 in Bashbari Mouza, Ashulia. The accused had long been trying to seize his home and property. On December 12, armed with local weapons, they attacked his home, vandalised his cowshed, looted cash worth 1.2 lakh taka, and cut down trees worth about 1 lakh taka. They also damaged parts of the house and threatened to evict the family from their homestead. The sand had been dumped next to the priest’s house to mark an encroachment, and a small tin room had been constructed overnight. Evidence of vandalism was also visible in the priest’s home. Regarding the allegations, Md Jahangir Alam said, “All the allegations against me are false and baseless. I have not cut down anyone’s trees, broken anyone’s cowshed, or threatened anyone. I dumped sand on the land two months ago. On paper, this is my land.” On the matter of breaking into the house, vandalism, looting, and land grabbing, Ashulia Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Nure Alam Siddique said, “A case has been filed regarding the attack. Legal action will be taken after investigation.”
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been placed under the ‘Undecided’ category in the Hinduphobia Tracker, as there is currently no definitive evidence confirming that the attack was motivated by the victim’s religious identity. However, the incident took place in Bangladesh, where the Hindu minority has historically faced systemic persecution and targeted violence by sections of the Muslim majority. This hostility has sharply escalated following the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, 2024, with numerous reports emerging of rapes, forced conversions, mob assaults, temple desecrations, and the illegal dispossession of Hindus from their homes and ancestral lands. Given this worsening climate, it is plausible that the attack on the elderly Hindu priest’s home may have been influenced by his religious identity. At the same time, there is also the possibility that the incident was primarily a personal or opportunistic land dispute without a direct communal motive. In the absence of conclusive evidence of religious targeting, this case will remain categorised as ‘Undecided’. If further information emerges indicating that the attack was driven by anti-Hindu sentiment, it will be reclassified accordingly in the hate crime database. Disclaimer: While reports indicate that a few non-Muslim individuals may have been involved in this incident, for documentation purposes, the perpetrator count includes only Muslim perpetrators.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
