Case Summary

In the Sunamganj district of Bangladesh, a derogatory remark against idols of Hindu deities was made on social media by a Muslim man. The Muslim accused also threatened Hindus with a mass exodus, saying that "Hindus will have no place in Bangladesh." The individual was identified as Hussain Ahmed. He posted a derogatory remark about Hindu deities and their idols on Facebook. He encouraged Muslims to desecrate Hindu idols. In his post, he wrote, "All Muslims should f*ck Hindu idols." He further referred to Hindus as "Malians" and stated that they will have no place in Bangladesh. Screenshots of these hateful remarks and the incitement to desecrate Hindu idols were shared by a X handle (formerly Twitter) named 'Voice of Bangladeshi Hindus'. This provoked strong reactions from Hindus on social media, with many expressing outrage and anger over such a hateful remark. This case serves as a stark reminder of the growing Muslim extremism and anti-Hindu sentiments in Bangladesh, which have only increased manifold since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024. After her violent ouster, Bangladesh 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. Reports have exposed how Muslim students forced around 60 Hindu teachers, professors, and government officials to resign. Exiled Bangladeshi activist Asad Noor has also revealed that the minority Hindu community is now being coerced into joining ‘Jamaat-e-Islami’. Hindu religious events have been repeatedly targeted. On 6th September, a procession carrying Lord Ganesha’s idol was attacked in Chittagong. Ahead of Durga Puja, multiple incidents of idol vandalism occurred, including attacks in Mymensingh, Pabna, Rajshahi, Kishoreganj, and Dhaka. On 29th November, a violent Muslim mob attacked three temples in Patharghata, Chittagong, immediately after Jumma Namaz. The crackdown on Hindu voices has also escalated. On 30th November, Hindu journalist Munni Saha was arrested in Dhaka. Muslim mob attacks have increased in Bangladesh, for example, on 22nd May 2025, a Muslim mob carried out arson attacks selectively on Hindu homes in Dahar Mashihati village in Abhaynagar upazila in Jessore district of Bangladesh. Even ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu and his aides have been targeted, and attempts have been made to ban ISKCON and suppress Hindu protests through sedition charges. These arbitrary actions point to a systematic pattern of persecution under Muhammad Yunus’s interim government.

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Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Hate Speech against Hindus. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Violent Threats. Violent threats, explicit, implicit or implied, is 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 second sub-category selected here is- Anti-Hindu slurs, mocking faith. Anti-Hindu slurs and the deliberate mocking of the Hindu faith owing to religious animosity involve the usage of derogatory terms, stereotypes, or offensive references to religious practices, symbols, or figures. One of the common anti-Hindu slurs used against Hindus is “cow-worshipper” and “cow piss drinker”. The intention of using this term is to demean and mock Hindus as a group and their religious beliefs since Hindus consider the cow holy. Additionally, some symbols and the slurs attached to them have a historical context that exacerbates the insult, hate, stereotyping, dehumanisation and oppression against Hindus. Cow worship has been used for centuries to denigrate Hindus, insult their faith and oppress Hindus specifically as a religious group. There has been overwhelming documentation about how cow slaughter has been used to persecute Hindus with cow meat being thrown in temples and places of worship. There has also been overwhelming documentation where cow meat (beef) has been force-fed to Hindus to either forcefully convert them to Islam or denigrate their faith. Apart from cow worship, the Swastika – which holds deep religious significance for the Hindus – has also been misinterpreted and distorted to use as a slur against Hindus. Similarly, the worship of the Shivling has been used by supremacist ideologies and religions to denigrate Hindus owing to religious animosity. Such slurs and denigration stem out of inherent animosity and hate towards Hindus and their faith, therefore, it is categorised as hate speech targeted at Hindus specifically owing to their religious identity. This incident stands as a clear example of hate speech directed at Hindus. The Muslim perpetrator did not merely disrespect Hindu gods and their idols through his extremely disparaging remarks, but attacked the very heart of Hindu religious identity. For Hindus, deities and their idols are deeply revered, regarded not simply as artistic representations but as sacred embodiments of the divine energy of the respective deity. The language used by the Muslim perpetrator was not only offensive, but it was a deliberate attempt to humiliate and provoke the Hindu community. By resorting to such explicit language, he sought to undermine the dignity of the Hindu community. Moreover, his remarks went beyond personal insult. He urged Muslims to desecrate Hindu idols, amounting to an incitement to collective violence against Hindus and their sacred symbols. This was not just an individual act of hatred but a call to mobilise others to attack the Hindu minority and their places of worship in Bangladesh. Such incitement is profoundly dangerous, as it encourages the normalisation of violence against the Hindu community and leaves Hindus feeling isolated and threatened for the safety of their sacred shrines. These actions stem from deep-seated hatred and contempt for Hinduism, its symbols, and its followers. The perpetrator further declared that Hindus have no place in Bangladesh, revealing a deeply troubling mentality of exclusion and animosity. This attitude seeks to displace an already persecuted and vulnerable community, normalising violence and emboldening other Muslims to continue the persecution of the Hindu minority. Such rhetoric and actions reinforce a climate where Hindus are targeted simply for their faith, making this a stark example of religiously motivated hate speech. Additionally, this derogatory remark and incitement to desecration of Hindu idols must be seen in the context of the widespread atrocities committed against Hindus in Bangladesh. Such incidents reveal that deep-rooted religious animosity is a driving force behind the ongoing persecution of the Hindu minority in the country. The removal of Sheikh Hasina from power on 5th August 2024 marked a turning point, significantly escalating the marginalisation and suffering of Hindus in this predominantly Islamic nation. What has unfolded since can only be described as a silent genocide. In the wake of Sheikh Hasina’s exile, Muslim radicals have carried out unchecked atrocities against Hindus, including brutal physical violence, the destruction of temples and sacred symbols, and the systematic displacement of Hindu families from their ancestral homes. Hundreds of attacks on Hindu temples, shops, and businesses have been documented since her removal as Prime Minister. Many Hindus have lost their lives or suffered severe injuries in mob attacks, leaving entire communities traumatised and fearful for their future. In short, Bangladesh has fallen into the grip of Islamist extremists, creating an uncertain future for its Hindu population. Disclaimer: The post that circulated widely on social media is undated. For the sake of documentation, we are using the date the incident first came to light—8th July 2025—as the date of the incident.