Deliberate attack on Hindu faith: Idols of Hindu deity desecrated by Muslim man ahead of Durga puja celebrations in Bangladesh
Jamalpur District, Bangladesh 
19 September, 2025
Case Summary
In Sarishabari Upazila of Jamalpur district, Bangladesh, seven idols of Goddess Durga were vandalised by a Muslim man named Habibur Rehman. This desecration occurred before the Durga Puja festival. According to media reports, the incident occurred on 20th September 2025. The police were informed about this, and they stated that the accused had been identified as Habibur Rehman, aged 35, a resident of Shimlapalli village. According to police and temple officials, the idols, which were being prepared for the upcoming Durga Puja, were vandalised after the artisans left the temple on the night of 20th September 2025. They further stated that the accused entered the temple and broke the heads and other parts of the idols. Following this, the police arrested the accused, Habibur. The members of the temple committee found the idols damaged on the morning of 21st September 2025 and informed the police, who arrested Habibur after reviewing CCTV footage. The Daily Star, a leading Bangladeshi newspaper, quoted Gouesh Chandra Barman, the president of the temple committee, as saying, "On Sunday morning (21st September 2025), on Mahalaya, when we reached there, the idols were broken. We immediately called the police. The vandal was identified through CCTV footage." This case serves as a stark reminder of the continued persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh, which has 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 took 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.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category, which is- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbols. Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. This case constitutes a hate crime against Hindus because the Muslim perpetrator deliberately targeted the idols of Goddess Durga and desecrated them. Such actions were not random acts of vandalism but were driven by religious animosity. For Hindus, idols of Hindu deities are not mere decorations; they are sacred representations central to Hindu worship and devotion. They form an essential part of the daily religious life of Hindus and are revered with the deepest respect. In this instance, the desecration of the idols was carried out with full knowledge of their sanctity and significance to the Hindu community. The Muslim perpetrator intentionally insulted and violated the religious sentiments of Hindus. The deliberate targeting of these idols demonstrated deep‑seated hostility towards Hinduism and those who follow it. Such acts of desecration are not only an attack on religious objects but also on the collective faith, dignity, and identity of the Hindu community. This makes it a clear instance of a religiously motivated crime against Hindus. The timing of this crime further exposed its malicious intent. The desecration occurred just ahead of Durga Puja, one of the most revered and widely celebrated festivals among Hindus. Durga Puja commemorates the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura, symbolising the triumph of good over evil, and is observed with great devotion and preparation by millions of Hindus. By targeting and desecrating the idols of Goddess Durga shortly before this holy festival, the Muslim perpetrator sought to disrupt religious celebrations, inflict distress upon the Hindu community, and openly display his hostility. The timing was not coincidental but a deliberate attempt to wound Hindu religious practices and sentiments at their most sacred moment. Given that this case meets the parameters of a religiously motivated crime, it is being added to the hate crime database.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
Sources 
