Muslim mob take to the streets in Bangladesh demanding death penalty for Hindu youth over 'blasphemy'

Case ID : 90a083d | Location : Dhaka, Dhaka District, Bangladesh | Date of Incident : Fri, 21 February, 2025

Case ID : 90a083d

Dhaka, Dhaka District, Bangladesh

21 February, 2025

Muslim mob take to the streets in Bangladesh demanding death penalty for Hindu youth over 'blasphemy'

Hate speech against Hindus

Violent threats

Case Summary

In Dhaka, Bangladesh, hundreds of Islamists associated with groups linked to Al-Qaeda, operating under the banner of 'Towhidi Janata,' rallied from the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque following Friday prayers. The demonstrators demanded the death penalty for Hindu youth Rakhal Raha, accusing him of blasphemy. Rakhal Raha is a member of the Textbook Reform Commission. A video of the protest rally was widely circulated on X, showing a massive crowd of Islamists chanting slogans on the streets. Due to unclear audio, their exact demands were difficult to discern. However, social media users alleged that the rally was held in protest against a Hindu named Rakhal Raha, whom the Islamists accused of insulting the Prophet and were demanding his execution. A few days before this incident enraged Islamists staged a human chain demonstration and a symbolic shoe-beating protest, condemning the alleged blasphemous remarks against Allah made by Rakhal Raha.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added under two prime categories of the tracker as distinct elements here demonstrate that the crime was committed while harbouring a bias against the Hindu faith. The prime category under which this case has been placed is- Hate speech against Hindus. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Violent threats. Violent threats, explicit, implicit or implied, are the most dangerous form of hate speech since it goes beyond discriminatory and prejudicial language to express the intent of causing harm to an individual or a group of people based on their religious identity and faith. There could be several different kinds of threats that are issued to Hindus based on religious animosity. An explicit threat would mean the direct threat of violence towards an individual Hindu, a group of Hindus or Hindus at large. Physical violence, death threats, threats of destruction of property belonging to Hindus and threats of genocide would mean explicit threats against Hindus for their religious identity. Implicit threats may not be a direct threat but implied through the use of symbols of actions – for example – in the Nupur Sharma case, other than explicit threats, there were also implicit threats when Islamists took to the streets to burn and beat her effigies. It implies that they want to do the same to Nupur Sharma – thereby is considered an implicit threat. Violent threats can be delivered in person, through letters, phone calls, graffiti, or increasingly through social media and other online platforms. It would be important to understand that a threat – explicit or implicit, online or offline – to an individual who happens to be a Hindu does not qualify as a religiously motivated threat. Such a threat, while vile and dangerous, could be owing to non-religious reasons and/or personal animosity. To qualify as a religiously motivated threat, it would need to exhibit an indication that the individual is being targeted for religious reasons and/or owing to his/her religious identity as a Hindu. The nature of the protest, the slogans raised, and the explicit calls for the execution of a Hindu individual—Rakhal Raha—demonstrate a clear intent to instil fear and suppress voices by weaponising accusations of blasphemy. The demand for the death penalty over alleged remarks perceived as offensive to Islam reflects a deep-seated bias against Hindus, reinforcing the pattern of targeted persecution seen in Islamist extremism. The misuse of blasphemy law by Islamists poses a significant threat to Hindus. As seen in several cases, this law is often used as a tool of oppression and violence, leading to false accusations, mob justice, and social ostracisation of Hindus, especially in Muslim-majority countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh. The misuse of blasphemy laws against Hindus is often motivated by religious prejudice. Hindus are targeted because of their religious identity. Here, the intent of the mob to attack the Hindu youth in the name of defending religious sentiments, rooted in their perception of blasphemy, is a reflection of how the blasphemy law is weaponised to target and persecute Hindus. This incident not only shows the inherent dangers faced by religious minorities in the face of such laws but also underscores the deep-seated religious bias that fuels such attacks. It is for this reason that this case has been rightfully included in the hate tracker—as it stands as a clear example of a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus.