Attack on Hindu religious sentiments: Sacred idols of Hindu deities desecrated by Muslim man in Bangladesh
Munshiganj District, Bangladesh 
3 October, 2025
Case Summary
In the Daspara temple at Baligaon, Tongibari Upazila, located in the Munshiganj district, Bangladesh, three idols of Hindu deities were desecrated by a Muslim man. According to media reports, the local residents caught the accused red-handed while he was vandalising the idols, including that of Goddess Lakshmi. He was later handed over to the police. A case was registered at the police station in connection with the incident. The vandalism took place at around 11:30 a.m. on 4th October 2025. Later, at around 3:30 p.m., Gopal Das, President of the Daspara Temple Committee, filed a case against the accused, charging him with desecration and hurting religious sentiments. The accused was identified as Mohammad Azizul, aged 31, son of local sanitation worker (sweeper) Kalam. He worked in the same profession himself. Although his permanent residence was in Jamalpur District, he had been living on rent in the Baligaon area of Munshiganj. Tongibari Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Saiful Alam confirmed the information. He stated, “We have arrested the accused, Azizul. During the initial interrogation, his statements appeared incoherent. He will be sent to court tomorrow. The situation in the area remains normal.” 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 ?
The primary category selected in this case is- Attack on Hindu religious representations. 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. The other subcategory 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. This incident was a clear case of a hate crime against Hindus. The accused desecrated sacred Hindu religious symbols — three idols of Hindu deities, including one of Goddess Lakshmi. In Hinduism, idols (murtis) are not mere representations; they are considered divine embodiments, the physical form in which devotees offer prayers and seek blessings. Goddess Lakshmi, for example, is revered as the Goddess of wealth, prosperity, and fortune, and holds immense spiritual importance. Desecrating Hindu idols is a direct affront to the faith, an act that deeply wounds Hindu sentiments and causes profound distress to devotees. Such acts are widely recognised as religiously motivated crimes, as they target the sacred icons central to Hindu worship. The desecration of these idols within a temple is not merely an attack on the idols themselves, but an attack on the temple as a whole. In Hindu belief, the idol inside the temple is considered the manifestation of the deity — the focal point of the temple’s spiritual presence. Damaging or defiling these divine idols is akin to desecrating the entire sacred temple. An attack of this nature demonstrates deep-seated religious animosity towards the Hindu community and their places of worship, making it a religiously motivated crime. Temples hold profound spiritual and cultural significance for Hindus, serving as sanctuaries where devotees gather to seek solace, peace, and the grace of the deity. The presence of the idol within the temple is central to worship, as it is regarded as the living embodiment of the divine. When such a sacred space is attacked or its idols are desecrated, it is not only a physical assault but also a psychological blow to the Hindu community. It erodes the sense of safety that Hindus feel when practising their religion and instils fear and insecurity about openly expressing their faith. Given that this case meets all the parameters of a religiously motivated crime, it is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
Case Status
Arrested
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
One Person
Perpetrators Gender
male
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