Hindu businessman's house looted and vandalised; threatened with death by Muslim men

Case ID : b45f361 | Location : Faridpur District, Bangladesh | Date of Incident : Sun, 4 August, 2024

Case ID : b45f361

Faridpur District, Bangladesh

4 August, 2024

Hindu businessman's house looted and vandalised; threatened with death by Muslim men

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Case Summary

The removal of Sheikh Hasina from power in Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, escalated the persecution and marginalisation of the Hindu minority in the predominantly Islamic nation, intensifying what can be described as a silent genocide. Since her ouster, Islamists have carried out unchecked atrocities against Hindus, including physical violence, the destruction of temples and religious symbols, and the systematic displacement of Hindus from their ancestral lands. Over 205 attacks on Hindu temples, shops, and businesses have been recorded following Sheikh Hasina's removal as Prime Minister. Many Hindus have been brutally murdered or injured in these assaults. Amid the ethnic cleansing of Hindus in Bangladesh, a Hindu businessman narrated his ordeal. He informed how a Muslim man named Walid Molla and his gang forcibly entered his house in the Charbhadrasan Upazila in Bangladesh's Faridpur district, by breaking the lock. They looted and vandalized several belongings, including the the AC and fridge. The victim, who is currently residing in Dubai, described Walid Molla and his group as opportunists who shift their political affiliations to suit their interests, currently claiming association with the BNP party. Additionally, he accused Walid Molla of committing atrocities against impoverished individuals to seize their lands. The victim had previously confronted Walid, attempting to reclaim some of the land that had been illegally taken by him.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Attacked for Hindu identity. In several cases, Hindus are attacked merely for their Hindu identity without any perceived provocation. A classic example of this category of religiously motivated hate crime is a murder in 2016. 7 ISIS terrorists were convicted for shooting a school principal in Kanpur because they got ‘triggered’ seeing the Kalava on his wrist and tilak that he had put. In this, the Hindu victim had offered no provocation except for his Hindu religious identity. The motivation for the murder was purely religious, driven by religious supremacy. Such cases where Hindus are targeted merely for their religious identity would be documented as a hate crime under this category. When there is an ongoing ethnic cleansing based on religious identity, every crime in and of itself is assumed to be motivated by the same religious animosity even if there is a lack of specific religious marker in the immediate crime. During an ongoing ethnic cleansing, the dehumanisation of people based on their religious identity and the normalisation of religious hostility drives the crimes committed against them even when there is a lack of stated religious motive. For the purpose of documenting the 2024 ethnic cleansing of Hindus in Bangladesh, the Hinduphobia Tracker is assuming religious motivation ab initio. If a case is specifically and beyond reasonable doubt proven to be driven by motivations other than religious hostility, it will post-facto be removed from the hate crime database.