Hindu man and his three minor sons brainwashed to convert to Islam, amidst Hindu persecution in Bangladesh
Habiganj, Sylhet District, Bangladesh 
26 June, 2024
Case Summary
In Habiganj Upazila, located in the Sylhet district of Bangladesh, a Hindu man named Shambhu Das, along with his three minor sons, was brainwashed into converting to Islam. In contrast, his wife refused to convert and filed a case at the local police station against the conversions, also demanding custody of her children. This incident occurred amidst ongoing reports of the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh. According to reports, Shambhu Das lived in Habiganj with his three young sons. Several months ago, he became the target of a group of Muslims involved in religious conversions. After being subjected to pressure and indoctrination, he fled his home with his sons. They sought out a well-known Islamic preacher, Maulana Pir Charmonai, where Shambhu Das and his sons were converted to Islam and given new Islamic names. Following the conversion, a video was published on Facebook by local Muslims, documenting the event. However, Shambhu Das’s wife refused to convert and lodged a formal complaint with the police regarding the conversion, also seeking custody of her children. It is important to note that, according to Bangladeshi law, it is illegal to convert minors to another religion. Therefore, this conversion is technically in violation of Bangladesh's legal provisions as well.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Predatory Proselytisation. The sub-category selected is - Proselytisation by grooming, brainwashing, manipulation, and subtle indoctrination. The tertiary category selected is - conversion of minors and pattern of targeting Hindus. Religious brainwashing essentially means the often subtle and forcible indoctrination to induce someone to give up their religious beliefs to accept contrasting regimented ideas. Religious grooming or brainwashing also involves propaganda and manipulation. It involves the systematic effort, driven by religious malice and indoctrination, to persuade “non-believers’ to accept allegiance, command, or doctrine to and of a contrasting faith. Cases of such grooming or brainwashing are far more nuanced than direct threats, coercion, inducement and violence. In such cases, it is often seen that there is repeated, subtle and continual manipulation of the victim to induce disaffection towards their own faith and acceptance of the contrasting faith of the perpetrator. While subtle indoctrination is widely acknowledged as predatory, an element which is often understated in such conversions or the attempts of such conversion is the role of loyalty and trust which might develop between the perpetrator and the victim. Fiduciary relationships are often abused to affect such religious conversion. For example, an educator transmitting religious doctrine of a competing faith to a Hindu student. The Hindu student is likely to accept what the teacher is transmitting owing to existence of the fiduciary relationship. The exploitation of the fiduciary relationship to religiously indoctrinate victims would also be included in this category. Since the underlying animosity towards the victim’s faith forms the basis of predatory proselytization, such cases are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. In this instance, a Hindu man and his three minor sons were brainwashed into converting to Islam. This case starkly highlights the religious motivations behind the crime. Firstly, the Hindu man was indoctrinated into converting to Islam. It is often observed that Muslim perpetrators indoctrinate and pressure Hindus to convert, driven by deep-rooted animosity towards the Hindu faith and a broader agenda of religious conversion. It is true that there are several religious conversions across the world which are completely voluntary and done out of the individual's own free will, driven by a change in faith. However, religious conversions in Islamic nations like Pakistan and Bangladesh have an especially predatory nature. These being Islamic nations, harbours specific animosity towards non-Muslims, especially Hindus, who are widely persecuted on the basis of their religion. There have been several instances where Hindu temples, homes, and shops are repeatedly attacked, Hindu women are frequently abducted and assaulted, and Hindus are forcibly converted to Islam. This persecution has intensified since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina on 5th August 2024, therefore, there is a strong possibility that even if the Hindu man said that he converted out of his own free will, it may have been to escape the persecution he would have to face if he didn't convert to Islam. Secondly, this case also involves the conversion of minor Hindu children. As the victims were minors, it is evident that the element of consent and genuine change of conscience was absent from the outset. It is well established that children are more susceptible to manipulation, as they are still developing emotionally, cognitively, and socially. Their brains are not fully mature enough to make decisions about undergoing religious conversions. This makes them more vulnerable to influence and less capable of critically evaluating information. Furthermore, the mother of the children has opposed the conversion and demanded custody of her sons, further indicating the presence of brainwashing and coercion of children in this case. Given that the underlying offence involves targeting people of the Hindu faith and employs subtle tactics of indoctrination, which is clearly stemming from deep-seated hatred and bias against the Hindu religion, this case is being categorised as a hate crime.
Victim Details
Total Victim
4
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 4
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 0
- Unknown 4
Age Group
- Minor 3
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
