Hindu leader violently attacked by Islamists in Bangladesh

Case ID : ea34c6f | Location : Chittagong District, Bangladesh | Date of Incident : Thu, 15 May, 2025

Case ID : ea34c6f

Chittagong District, Bangladesh

15 May, 2025

Hindu leader violently attacked by Islamists in Bangladesh

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Case Summary

Hindu leader Mintu Dey was violently attacked by Islamists who were associated with Bangladesh’s extremist groups Jamaat-e-Islami and NCP. The incident took place in Bayazid, Chittagong. This case highlights the ongoing hatred, intolerance, violence, and bigotry faced by the Hindus in Bangladesh at the hands of the majority Muslim population. The level of hostility and religious intolerance against Hindus in Bangladesh continues to escalate, with such abductions and attacks becoming alarmingly frequent, especially since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024. Since then, 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. The lack of prompt action by the police further emboldens the perpetrators which creates an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among Hindus in Bangladesh.

Why it is Hate Crime ?

This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Attack not resulting in death. Within 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. This case has been added to the tracker because of the hostile and anti-minority environment that continues to exist in Bangladesh. Religious minorities, especially Hindus, are often treated with contempt and hatred, and this has only intensified after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s regime. In the political vacuum that followed, there has been a noticeable increase in anti-Hindu violence across the country. This case needs to be seen in that context, as part of a broader pattern of rising religious intolerance and targeted hate. Even in this case, a Hindu leader, Mintu Dey, was violently attacked by Islamists associated with Bangladesh’s extremist groups Jamaat-e-Islami and NCP, without any provocation. Both Jamaat-e-Islami and NCP have been known for targeting Hindus and committing violence and hate crimes against them. These attacks are intended to instil fear within the Hindu minority. This attack on the Hindu leader was done to make a statement that Hindu and Hindu beliefs are not respected within Bangladesh. Therefore, this case has been added to the tracker.