Hindu temple looted and ransacked by Muslims in Bangladesh
Chittagong District, Bangladesh 
23 February, 2025
Case Summary
In Bangladesh's Chattogram area, a Hindu temple named Maa Maghadeshwari was attacked, looted and ransacked by Muslims of the radical outfit Hefazat-e-Islami. This is the same Islamist outfit that called for Sharia Law in Bangladesh after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was unceremoniously ousted on 5th August 2024. Vice President of the Islamist organisation, Muhyiddin Rabbani, made it explicit that they intended to create an Islamic state in Bangladesh. According to him, an Islamic government would safeguard Islam and its precepts while also bringing justice to the populace. Rabbani highlighted that Pakistan was formed in the name of Islam, insinuating that Bangladesh was earlier a part of the country before it gained independence in 1971. Since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on 5th August 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 and seeking justice.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
Thia case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Attack on Hindu religious representations, and within this, the sub-category selected is- Attack on Temples. In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Given the central significance of Temples in Hindu Dharma, any attack against a Hindu Temple or its peripheral premises is an attack on the faith itself and is born out of animosity towards the faith, of which, the Temple is a central tenet. Any manner of attack against a Temple and/or its premises would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. The removal of Sheikh Hasina from power in Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, escalated the persecution and marginalisation of the Hindu minority in the predominantly Islamic nation, intensifying what can be described as a silent genocide. Since her ouster, Islamists have carried out unchecked atrocities against Hindus, including physical violence, the destruction of temples and religious symbols, and the systematic displacement of Hindus from their ancestral lands. Hundreds of attacks on Hindu temples, shops, and businesses have been recorded following Sheikh Hasina's removal as Prime Minister. Many Hindus have been brutally murdered or injured in these assaults. Amid this, the report indicates that another Hindu temple in Bangladesh's Chattogram area was looted and vandalised by members of the Islamist outfit Hefazat-e-Islami. It is important to highlight that the Muslims involved in the vandalism were fully aware that Hindu temples are sacred centres of worship for Hindus. By targeting these temples, they knowingly attacked the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. The purpose behind this was obviously to intimidate, harass, or provoke the Hindu worshippers. Furthermore, it was done primarily out of animosity for Hindus and their faith, making it a kind of religious harassment worthy of being listed in the tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
