ISKCON member attacked by Muslim mob forcing their way to his home

Case Summary
A video of a Bangladeshi Hindu youth pleading for protection and justice went viral on social media. The victim, reportedly a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Bangladesh, was attacked by miscreants who forced their way into his home. They assaulted him and terrorized his family, including a child. Following the incident, the youth recorded a video expressing his anguish. He questioned why justice remained elusive and stated that Hindus were being pressured to leave Bangladesh and migrate to India. He reminded viewers of the sacrifices made by his ancestors for the nation during its war of independence. His appeal asked if such violence and discrimination would continue indefinitely. The victim also showed the individuals responsible for the attack in the video and claimed that local police failed to provide assistance. Since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024, Bangladesh has plunged into chaos as Islamist extremists have taken 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 the area in a major crackdown on Hindus. Further, the arrest of three Hindu priests has exacerbated the situation with Hindu minorities protesting across Bangladesh seeking justice.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the category- 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. The other sub-category selected is- Attacked to induce migration from non-Hindu dominated area. There have been cases where the Hindus living in an area, often with a majority dwelling belonging to non-Hindus or those harbouring animosity towards the Hindu faith, the Hindu residents experience threats and violence. The violence is employed with the aim of making the Hindus leave the area and relocate, so the area could be turned into an exclusive ghetto for adherents of the non-Hindu faith or those who harbor animosity towards the Hindu faith. In several cases, the aim of exodus is explicit. However, in several cases, the demand for exodus of Hindu residents is not explicit, however, violence by non-Hindu residents leaves the Hindu residents no option but to leave the area, thereby, turning the area into an exclusive ghetto of non-Hindu residents. In such cases, there are instances violence against the Hindu residents explicitly. For example, in the Hauz Qazi case of 2019, the Muslim residents claimed that mob violence against the Hindu residents had been triggered by a parking dispute. However, the violence did turn religious with a temple being desecrated and was directed specifically against the Hindu residents. The Hindu residents of the area were clear that the violence was religiously motivated and one of the motives was to affect an exodus of the Hindu residents. In such cases, even though the perpetrators have not explicitly expressed the aim of affecting exodus, the given circumstances and violence and precedent point to the intention of exodus and therefore would be categorized under this sub-category. Such crimes are religiously motivated and therefore are hate crimes. 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. Following a pattern of attacks on Hindu individuals and religious institutions, ISKCON members have increasingly become targets of aggression in the Muslim-majority nation. These incidents are marked by physical assaults, intimidation, and systemic neglect by authorities, leaving victims without recourse to justice. Amid this, a Hindu man, who was also a member of ISCKON was attacked by Muslim men in the Islamic nation. It is important to emphasize that the attack on the Hindu man was entirely unprovoked, with his religious identity being the sole trigger for the violence. Moreover, such attacks can be perceived as a larger attack on the entire Hindu community, as the purpose is clearly to send a broader message of hostility towards the community. Further, the victim’s plea, highlighting the pressure on Hindus to leave Bangladesh and migrate to India, reflects a systematic effort to induce migration by fostering an environment of fear, insecurity, and hopelessness. It is a tactic to intimidate the community; instil fear and disrupt the cohesion and morale of the community. Such attacks are a form of symbolic aggression against the Hindu community that stems from an innate hatred for Hinduism and for these reasons, this case has been added here.

Case Status
Unknown

Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown