Hindus' right to religious freedom stifled as Bangladesh Govt bans Saraswati Puja at National Press Club
Dhaka, Dhaka District, Bangladesh 
31 January, 2025
Case Summary
Bangladesh Jubo Ekta Parishad in a press release condemned the decision of the Md Yunus-led government in Bangladesh to ban the celebration of Saraswati Puja in Dhaka's National Press Club. The letter written in Bengali could be roughly translated to, "For the past three years, the worship of Goddess Saraswati, the deity of wisdom and knowledge, has been held at Dhaka's National Press Club. However, this year, the current committee of the Press Club did not grant permission for the puja to be organized. This decision is highly condemnable and goes against the secular principles of the Press Club. The central leadership of Bangladesh Jubo Ekta Parishad strongly condemns and protests this unjust restriction imposed by the current committee of the National Press Club. They have demanded an immediate reversal of this decision and urged that the traditional Saraswati Puja be allowed to take place as before." 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 various parts of the Islamic country in a major crackdown on Hindus. Further, the arrest of three Hindu priests, attempts to ban the Hindu organisation ISKCON and stifling Hindu protests with cases of ‘sedition’ highlight systematic persecution under the interim government of Muhammad Yunus. There have been multiple instances of attacks on Hindus under the pretext of ‘blasphemy.’ The recent cases of Hridoy Pal, Utsab Mandal, Partha Biswas Pintu, Akash Das, Pranta Talukder and Utsab Kumar Gian are shining examples of targeted persecution. So far, there have been many attempts to downplay violence against Hindus as ‘fake‘, ‘exaggerated‘ or ‘politically motivated‘. Now, this arbitrary decision taken by the Bangladesh govt to ban the Saraswati Puja celebration at the National Press Club serves as a stark reminder of the increasing vulnerability faced by Hindu minorities amidst rising hostility in the Islamic state of Bangladesh.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the category of- Restriction/ban on Hindu practices and within this, the sub-category selected is- Administration restricting religious practice. In several cases, it is seen that the administration/state disallows a religious practice owing to prejudicial orders and concerns, targeted specifically against the Hindu community. Such restriction/prohibition would be considered documented as a hate crime because the orders are often a result of pressure by groups that harbour animosity towards Hinduism and Hindus. Often, the restriction by the authorities is driven by bias, hostility, or prejudice against the specific community being stopped from holding a religious practice, by pressure groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus, intrinsic to their faith. Since practices are intrinsic to the faith of the Hindus, such prejudicial restriction is considered a curtailing of the fundamental rights of the Hindu community. In several cases, for example, the authorities ban a Hindu religious practice due to pressure from groups opposed to the religion. In other instances, the prohibition is selectively enforced against one religious group (Hindus) while others are allowed to proceed. There are still other cases where the authorities preemptively restrict a religious practice by Hindus because those who hold animosity towards Hindus may get “provoked” leading to them being violent, thereby assuaging the sentiments of those who hold animosity towards Hindus by curtailing the religious rights of Hindus. Such acts and orders are prejudiced, indicating discriminatory motives owing to the capitulation to groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus and therefore, would be categorized as a religiously motivated hate crime since the original pressure leading to the order itself is a result of hatred/bias/prejudice/religious hate against Hindus. The Bangladesh government's decision to ban the Saraswati Puja celebration at Dhaka’s National Press Club is a direct attack on Hindu religious expression. By prohibiting Hindus from practising their faith in a venue where they were previously permitted, the authorities are sending a clear message that Hindu traditions are unwelcome under the current government in the Islamic state of Bangladesh. This action violates the fundamental right to freedom of religion, which includes the ability to openly express one's faith. Such a move fosters an environment of intolerance and exclusion, reinforcing discrimination against Hindus. When individuals are harassed, restricted, or outright prevented from following their religious beliefs, it constitutes a hate crime because the motivation behind the act stems from religious bias. In this case, the Bangladesh authorities have demonstrated clear prejudice, which is why this incident has been categorised as a hate crime in the tracker. Given the escalating hostility toward Hindus under the Md Yunus-led interim government, this ban is not surprising but remains deeply unjust. The administration has already exhibited its anti-Hindu stance through actions such as arresting Hindu priests, suppressing Hindu organizations like ISKCON, and silencing Hindu voices using sedition charges. The ban on Saraswati Puja is yet another step in systematically erasing Hindu identity from public spaces. It is not a decision based on security concerns or neutral administrative reasoning but a deliberate attempt to suppress Hindu religious expression.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
