Hindu religious spaces desecrated in Mymensingh, Bangladesh: crematorium targeted, temple demolished in hate-fuelled attack
Mymensingh, Mymensingh District, Bangladesh 
25 April, 2025
Case Summary
Amidst this increased religious persecution of Hindu minorities in the Islamic nation of Bangladesh, a Hindu temple was vandalised by Muslim men in the Uchakhila Union in the Mymensingh district. Further, attempts were made to convert the temple and a 200-year-old Hindu crematorium into a cattle market. Reports indicated that the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Ishwarganj upazila, Mohammed Ershadul Ahmed, had been attempting to demolish the Hindu temple and crematorium to build a cattle market in their place. A local Hindu leader, Pintu Chowdhury, explained that the crematorium in Uchakhila Union had been in existence for 200 years. He added that the construction of a new temple was underway adjacent to the crematorium. Chowdhury stated that the UNO ordered the demolition of the temple on Saturday, 26 April, and announced the shifting of the crematorium to another site. He emphasised that the crematorium and the temple could not be shifted and that the followers of Sanatan Dharma were angered by the move, leading them to stage a protest. Another local Hindu leader, Paresh Saha, reported that a group had been issuing threats to evict Hindus from the area. He pointed out that the crematorium was being filled with sand to make way for a cattle market and confirmed that the pillars of the under-construction temple were demolished. The secretary of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Front, Bijoy Mitra Shuvo, stated that despite prior intimation by Hindus about the threat, no administrative action had been taken to stop the demolition. Meanwhile, UNO Mohammed Ershadul Ahmed sought to downplay the incident, suggesting that the destruction of the temple pillars had happened inadvertently. Local Muslim groups, such as the Ishwarganj Upazila branch of the Islamic Movement, also attempted to deny the events. During a press conference, they stated that there was no truth to the reports of the demolition of the temple and crematorium. This incident is just another example of the persecution of minority Hindus in the Islamic country, especially since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024. At least 205 attacks on Hindu temples, shops, and businesses were reported within just three days of Dhaka’s fall. 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 also 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. ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das Prabhu and his aides have been targeted, while attempts to ban ISKCON and suppress Hindu protests through sedition charges highlight systematic persecution under Muhammad Yunus’s interim government.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case is categorised under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under that, the relevant sub-category is- Violence against 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. The other 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 third sub-category selected is- Encroachment or illicit takeover of temple land/land near the temple. 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. Not only the Temple but the Temple premises in its entirety are considered sacred by Hindus. In several cases, the premises of the Temple and/or religious centre are illicitly taken over by institutions belonging to other faiths – like the Waqf board or the Church. Other times, the temple property, land or the property of religious centres are illicitly encroached by non-Hindu groups. Any illicit take over or encroachment is a crime an initio, however, when non-Hindu groups illicitly take over or encroach the sacred land of Hindus, it is an affront to the Hindu community and is therefore classified as a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. The targeting of a 200-year-old crematorium and an under-construction temple is a clear example of a hate crime motivated by religious bias. The plan to shift the crematorium and replace it with a cattle market showed a lack of respect for its religious importance, and it was a hostile move to erase a long-standing part of Hindu religious practice. At the same time, destroying the temple pillars next to the crematorium was not just a mistake but a deliberate attack on a sacred Hindu space. These actions go against the core beliefs of the faith and appear aimed at weakening the spiritual life of the Hindu community. Trying to take over and change the land connected to these religious sites made the situation worse. In Hindu tradition, both the buildings and the land around them are considered holy. Any unauthorised use or change of this land by non-Hindus is a direct insult to the faith. These acts marginalise the community and deny them their right to practice their religion freely, making this incident a clear case of a religiously motivated hate crime. Hence, this case rightfully qualifies as a hate crime and deserves to be documented in the tracker. It is important to mention here that this incident is not an isolated case but part of a larger pattern of hostility that Muslims in Bangladesh continue to harbour against Hindus. The systematic denigration of Hindu beliefs, coupled with attacks on temples, homes, and individuals, highlights the deep-seated animosity that has only intensified in the wake of political turmoil. Such attack serves to normalise bigotry, further emboldening radical elements to target the Hindu community with impunity.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
