Hindu man violently assaulted and subjected to Jizya-like extortion by Muslim men in Bangladesh

Case ID : ea34ccf | Location : Pirojpur District, Bangladesh | Date of Incident : Mon, 19 May, 2025

Case ID : ea34ccf

Pirojpur District, Bangladesh

19 May, 2025

Hindu man violently assaulted and subjected to Jizya-like extortion by Muslim men in Bangladesh

Attack not resulting in death

Attacked for Hindu identity

Case Summary

In Pirojpur district, Bangladesh, a Hindu man was subjected to brutal physical torture by a Islamist affiliated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The incident occurred after the victim refused to pay 50% of his earnings to the politician, which resulted in violent retaliation. 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 primary category of: - Attack not resulting in death. Within it, the sub-category selected is: - Attacked for the 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 a Hindu man was physically assaulted by an Islamist, affiliated with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), for refusing to surrender 50% of his earnings. This was not only an extortion attempt but also an imposition of jizya. Jizya is a discriminatory tax charged on non-Muslims within Islamic states as a sign of subjugation and inferiority. In this context, this demand must be interpreted as a form of religiously motivated economic persecution aimed at weakening and humiliating the Hindu community. This portrays the deep-rooted religious bigotry that exists in Islam against non-Muslims. Placing such a financial burden on Hindus solely for practising their religion or living with dignity is a form of systematic oppression on the basis of religion. These acts of targeted violence are not in isolation but are intended to intimidate, subdue, and remove the Hindu religion from the Muslim majority of Bangladesh. The attack also serves as a statement that Hindu beliefs and Hindu faith are not respected in Bangladesh. 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. Therefore, this case has been added to the tracker.