Hindu temple under attack in Bangladesh; Muslim mob lay siege to Durga temple, and threatens to demolish it
Dhaka, Dhaka District, Bangladesh 
22 June, 2025
Case Summary
In Khilkhet, Dhaka city, Bangladesh, a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Durga, known as the Sri Sri Durga Mandir, was targeted by a Muslim mob. The mob laid siege to the temple and demanded its removal, threatening to demolish it if their demands were not met. According to media reports, the Muslim mob gathered outside the Sri Sri Durga Mandir. It issued an ultimatum to the Hindu devotees, instructing them to remove the temple by noon on June 24, 2025. They also threatened to demolish the temple if the minority Hindu community did not comply. This incident was confirmed by a Hindu devotee named Suman Sudha. Faced with this situation, local Hindu leaders reached out to the Khilkhet police for assistance. On this incident, Inspector Mohammed Ashiqur Rehman said, “We have learnt about the incident. Our senior officials are trying to resolve the matter by 24th June 2025.” He added, “Some Muslims went there and created a tense situation.” However, Rehman later attempted to downplay the ultimatum to remove the Hindu temple, describing it as the result of a ‘heated argument’. He stated, “We are looking into the whole matter so that no unpleasant situation is created.” Khilkhet Police Station Officer-in-Charge, Mohammad Kamal Hossain, said, “There was a temple on the railway site. Until now, there was a tin fence there. On Monday, when the temple officials began constructing a concrete wall, the locals stopped the work. Tension arose, and the police arrived at the scene around 10 pm to bring the situation under control.” He further said, “Members of the Army, RAB, and BGB visited the site this morning. We have held separate discussions with the locals and the temple committee. Both sides have assured us that no further tension will arise regarding this matter. Similarly, a meeting was held between railway officials and followers of traditional religions concerning the absence of the temple. Railway officials will consider the issue of the temple’s absence.” Local Hindu leaders stated that such attacks and threats constitute a direct assault on their religious freedom and culture. They called upon the government and administrative officials to take strict action against such incidents to ensure the safety of religious minorities in Bangladesh. 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 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 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 ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within this, the 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. Another primary category relevant in this case is- Hate Speech against Hindus. Within this, the subcategory selected is- Violent Threats. Violent threats, explicit, implicit or implied, is the most dangerous form of hate speech since it goes beyond discriminatory and prejudicial language to express the intent of causing harm to an individual or a group of people based on their religious identity and faith. There could be several different kinds of threats that are issued to Hindus based on religious animosity. An explicit threat would mean the direct threat of violence towards an individual Hindu, a group of Hindus or Hindus at large. Physical violence, death threats, threats of destruction of property belonging to Hindus and threats of genocide would mean explicit threats against Hindus for their religious identity. Implicit threats may not be a direct threat but implied through the use of symbols of actions – for example – in the Nupur Sharma case, other than explicit threats, there were also implicit threats when Islamists took to the streets to burn and beat her effigies. It implies that they want to do the same to Nupur Sharma – thereby is considered an implicit threat. Violent threats can be delivered in person, through letters, phone calls, graffiti, or increasingly through social media and other online platforms. It would be important to understand that a threat – explicit or implicit, online or offline – to an individual who happens to be a Hindu does not qualify as a religiously motivated threat. Such a threat, while vile and dangerous, could be owing to non-religious reasons and/or personal animosity. To qualify as a religiously motivated threat, it would need to exhibit an indication that the individual is being targeted for religious reasons and/or owing to his/her religious identity as a Hindu. 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 exile, Muslim radicals 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. Hundreds of 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 Muslim mob attacks. Amidst this, reports emerged of a Hindu temple being targeted by Muslims, where a Muslim mob laid siege to the temple and threatened to demolish it. This case is a blatant example of a hate crime against the Hindu community as a Muslim mob deliberately laid siege to a Hindu temple, demanded that the temple be removed, and openly threatened to demolish it unless the Hindu devotees complied with their ultimatum. This was not a spontaneous dispute but a well-calculated act of religious intimidation, designed to instil fear and force the Hindu minority from their sacred space. A Hindu temple is an institution of immense spiritual significance within Hindu tradition. Temples are not merely physical structures; they are sanctified spaces believed to embody the divine presence of the Hindu deity. Hindu temples are held in the highest reverence by the Hindu community. Any attack or threat of violence against a Hindu temple is a direct affront to the religious sentiments of Hindus and constitutes a profound act of disrespect towards their beliefs and cultural heritage. In this instance, the actions of the Muslim mob were unequivocally motivated by religious intolerance. Their demand for the removal of the temple and threats to destroy it were clear attempts to erase Hindu religious identity from the area. Such intimidation is a direct assault on the fundamental right of Hindus to practise their faith without fear or interference. These actions stem from deep-seated religious animosity and hatred towards the Hindu community, making this a clear case of religiously motivated crime. What makes this incident especially troubling is the underlying ideology of Islamic supremacy that fuels such aggression. In many cases across South Asia, particularly in Muslim-majority countries like Bangladesh, attacks on Hindu temples are driven by a belief that non-Muslim places of worship are illegitimate or inferior. The perpetrators often view the presence of Hindu religious institutions as a challenge to their perceived religious dominance and therefore seek to destroy them as a means of asserting control. This reflects a broader pattern of religious persecution, where Islamists act with impunity to enforce sectarian superiority, often with tacit social or political approval, as evident in this case also, where the response of the Bangladeshi police was wholly inadequate and dismissive. Rather than acknowledging the gravity of this hate crime against Hindus, the officials attempted to downplay the incident and threats of violence as a mere “heated argument.” Such minimisation not only fails the Hindu victims but also emboldens the Muslim perpetrators, sending a dangerous message that acts of religious violence against Hindus will not be met with serious consequences. This incident is part of a wider and deeply troubling pattern of persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh. Attacks on temples, threats, and the displacement of Hindu families have become alarmingly common, with authorities frequently failing to protect the Hindu community or hold Muslim offenders to account. The siege of the Sri Sri Durga Mandir and threats of its demolition stand as a stark reminder of the urgent need for decisive action to safeguard the rights and security of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. Since this case is an instance of an attack on a Hindu temple in Bangladesh, therefore, it is being added to the hate crime database.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
From 10 to 100
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
