Hindus not allowed to enter a Hindu temple by Muslims in Bangladesh
Dhaka, Dhaka District, Bangladesh 
2 February, 2025
Case Summary
An X handle named 'VHindus71' posted a video stating that a banned Islamic terrorist organisation named 'Islami- Chhatra-Shibir' blocked the main entrance of a temple named 'Ramna Kali temple'. To block the entrance, the Muslims gave an excuse for a book fair. Many Hindu devotees were not allowed to enter the temple. 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 Hindu priests has exacerbated the situation, with Hindu minorities protesting across Bangladesh seeking justice.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the category of- Restriction/ban on Hindu practices. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Restriction on expression of Hindu identity. An example of the state-affected prejudicial and targeted orders against the Hindu community would be a government denying the right of a Hindu or a group of Hindus to hold a religious procession owing to the animosity of non-Hindu groups. Denial of the religious right of the Hindus to assuage the non-Hindu group which harbours animosity to a point where it could lead to violence against Hindus is not only a failure of law and order but is a prejudicial order against Hindus, denying them their fundamental rights to express their religious identity. An example of a hate crime against Hindus by a non-Hindu would be a non-Hindu institution forcing its Hindu employees to abandon religious symbols that a Hindu would wear as an expression of faith owing to inherent prejudice against the faith professed by the victim or a non-Hindu group of people restricting a Hindu group from constructing a place of worship simply because the demography of the area in which the temple is being built is dominated by non-Hindus. Such actions are driven by religious animosity and/or prejudice against Hindus and their faith and would therefore be categorized as a hate crime. The blockade of the Ramna Kali Temple’s entrance under the pretext of a book fair is a clear restriction on the expression of Hindu identity, as it deliberately prevented Hindu devotees from accessing their place of worship. The involvement of a banned Islamic terrorist organisation, Islami Chhatra Shibir, further highlights the targeted nature of this act, reinforcing the ongoing suppression of Hindu religious practices in Bangladesh. This incident is part of a broader pattern of hostility against Hindus, as seen in the widespread violence following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government. The systematic targeting of Hindu homes, the destruction of temples, and the arrest of Hindu priests all point to a concerted effort to stifle Hindu expression and presence in the region. By denying Hindus the right to perform their religious rituals and forcibly limiting their access to places of worship, this act reflects a deliberate attempt to curtail Hindu religious identity, reinforcing an environment of fear and subjugation.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
