Bangladeshi university denies temple space to Hindu students, tries to demolish foundation stone of temporary Hindu Mandir
Rangpur Division, Bangladesh 
14 February, 2024
Case Summary
The foundation stone of a temporary Hindu temple within Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University in Dinajpur, Bangladesh, was attacked by university authorities. Despite comprising 25% of the student body, Hindu students lacked a temple on campus, despite a decision to build one in 2013. For 11 years, Hindu students had requested designated land for the temple's construction. Since Bangladesh University is a government affiliated university, this attack and restriction can be considered one by the state itself.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This particular case has been classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under one prime category of the tracker because of distinct components that demonstrate the perpetrator's bias against the Hindu faith and their deliberate attempt to alienate the victims from their Hindu identity. The category which has been chosen here is 'Restriction/ban on Hindu practices' under which the sub-category 'Restriction on expression of Hindu identity' has been selected. 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 other primary category this case is being added to is 'Attack on Hindu religious representations' under the secondary category 'violence against Hindu religious structures or centres'. In Hinduism, a religious structure is also considered divine. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the religious structure itself is sacred. In this sub-category, we would document attacks against religious structures which are not consecrated temple spaces. Such religious spaces could be temporary in nature – for example – the religious spaces erected specifically for festivals like Durga Puja etc. This category would also document cases of attacks against religious centres. These spaces in their own right may not be ‘sacred’ per se, however, are often spaces where religious gurus live, religious teaching is imparted, or belong to religious institutions. Any attack against religious structures is a result of animosity towards the religion itself, which manifests itself through the religious spaces and therefore, such attacks are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. Religious centres are also manifestations of the religion, its teachings or gurus and therefore, attacks against such centres would be considered religiously motivated hate crimes. In this case, the University authorities demolished the foundation that had been laid for a temple that the Hindu students had been demanding for many years. This amounts to the authorities restricting Hindu students from practising their faith and also constitutes an attack against a religious structure, since the foundation of a temple was attacked and destroyed.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
N/A
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
