Hindu devotees forced to cancel Ram Navami play amid police pressure in Bangladesh
Barisal, Barisal District, Bangladesh 
8 April, 2025
Case Summary
In Barisal, police halted the staging of the play Ramayan, which was part of the Ram Navami celebrations organised by the local Sanatan (Hindu) community. The event was set to take place at the Shri Shri Mansa Temple in the city’s Kaunia area on Tuesday, commemorating the birth anniversary of Lord Ramchandra. Organisers claim that the police forced them to cancel the religious programme, citing security threats and potential unrest. However, police officials stated that the play was stopped due to the lack of prior permission. Pritam Das, an executive member of the Mansa Temple Puja Committee, explained that this temple hosts the largest Ram Navami celebrations in the Barisal division. As per tradition, the four-day celebration began on April 5, when the idol of Lord Ramchandra was brought to the temple. This was followed by rituals such as puja, yajna, floral offerings, distribution of prasad, and evening aarti. On Tuesday evening, the festivities were to include lamp lighting and a theatrical performance of the Ramayan, narrating the life story of Lord Ramchandra. However, police began interfering with the preparations from the morning itself. The final events, including the evening aarti, city-wide procession, and immersion ceremony, were scheduled for April 9. Another committee member, Hriday Das, said that despite repeated appeals, police maintained that the event could not proceed due to threats of violence. When they contacted senior officers from the Metropolitan Police, the only concern raised was regarding the Ramayan play. Tilak Basu Anim, director of Tilaks Group and Theatre, the troupe responsible for staging the play, said they had spent two months preparing for the performance. However, on Tuesday afternoon, they were forced to dismantle the sound system, stage decor, and other arrangements under pressure. He expressed deep disappointment over the police’s decision. SI Md. Jisan, who was present at the venue, said the organisers had not obtained formal permission from the Metropolitan Police, and under orders from higher authorities, he directed them to stop the play. Kaunia Police Station’s Investigation Officer, Sumon Kumar Aich, stated that due to the upcoming SSC examinations, they had requested the play be postponed. He added that all other religious events, including worship and processions, were allowed to continue as planned. Since the play was not considered an essential part of the worship, they suggested it could be held at a later date under police protection. Commenting on the matter, Additional Police Commissioner (North) of Barisal Metropolitan Police, Riaz Hossain, said he was unaware of the specific incident but assumed the performance may have been deemed risky due to heightened tensions surrounding the ongoing Palestine conflict.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Restriction/ban on Hindu practices, and within this, the sub-category selected is- Administration restricting religious practice. In several cases, it is seen that the administration/state disallows a religious practice owing to prejudicial orders and concerns, targeted specifically against the Hindu community. Such restriction/prohibition would be considered documented as a hate crime because the orders are often a result of pressure by groups that harbour animosity towards Hinduism and Hindus. Often, the restriction by the authorities is driven by bias, hostility, or prejudice against the specific community being stopped from holding a religious practice, by pressure groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus, intrinsic to their faith. Since practices are intrinsic to the faith of the Hindus, such prejudicial restriction is considered a curtailing of the fundamental rights of the Hindu community. In several cases, for example, the authorities ban a Hindu religious practice due to pressure from groups opposed to the religion. In other instances the prohibition is selectively enforced against one religious group (Hindus) while others are allowed to proceed. There are still other cases where the authorities preemptively restrict a religious practice by Hindus because those who hold animosity towards Hindus may get “provoked” leading to them being violent, thereby assuaging the sentiments of those who hold animosity towards Hindus by curtailing the religious rights of Hindus. Such acts and orders are prejudiced, indicating discriminatory motives owing to the capitulation to groups that harbour animosity towards Hindus and therefore, would be categorized as a religiously motivated hate crime since the original pressure leading to the order itself is a result of hatred/bias/prejudice/religious hate against Hindus. This case has been added to the tracker as it involves direct interference by law enforcement authorities in a peaceful Hindu religious celebration. Despite months of preparation for the Ramayana stage play—an integral part of the Ram Navami festivities—the organisers were compelled to dismantle the arrangements and cancel the performance after police intervention. Citing vague threats and lack of permission, the authorities selectively targeted the theatrical portion of the event while allowing other rituals to continue, raising concerns of bias. Importantly, this restriction was imposed in the absence of any provocation or disturbance from the Hindu community. Such action amounts to a prejudicial order that effectively denies the Hindu community its fundamental right to freely practice and express their religion. The forced suspension of the event, despite community appeals and peaceful intentions, is indicative of discriminatory administrative behavior and institutional suppression, thereby qualifying this incident as a clear example of the state apparatus restricting Hindu religious expression.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
State and Establishment
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
