Saraswati Puja Mandap attacked by Islamists, women and children beaten up
Pabna District, Bangladesh 
2 February, 2025
Case Summary
A Saraswati Puja Mandap in Ishwardi Upazila of Pabna district, Bangladesh, was attacked by a group of Islamists at night. The attackers vandalised the pandal, damaged the idol of Goddess Saraswati, and assaulted local Hindus who attempted to resist them. Hindu women and Children were also reportedly beaten during the attack. The incident happened amidst a larger wave of violence against the Hindu community in Bangladesh following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024. The political turmoil led to widespread attacks by Islamist extremists, who targeted Hindu homes, set them on fire, and abducted women. Several temples had been destroyed in different parts of the country. The attack in the Pabna district left the local Hindu community in fear. The situation remained tense, with growing concerns about the safety of religious minorities in Bangladesh.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under two prime categories. The first is- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Violence against religious structures or centres. In Hinduism, a religious structure is also considered divine. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the religious structure itself is sacred. In this sub-category, we would document attacks against religious structures which are not consecrated temple spaces. Such religious spaces could be temporary in nature – for example – the religious spaces erected specifically for festivals like Durga Puja etc. This category would also document cases of attacks against religious centres. These spaces in their own right may not be ‘sacred’ per se, however, are often spaces where religious gurus live, religious teaching is imparted, or belong to religious institutions. Any attack against religious structures is a result of animosity towards the religion itself, which manifests itself through the religious spaces and therefore, such attacks are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. Religious centres are also manifestations of the religion, its teachings or gurus and therefore, attacks against such centres would be considered religiously motivated hate crimes. The other category relevant here is- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Attack against Hindu devotees. Hindu devotees are a few of the easiest targets of religiously motivated hate crimes because during the festival/procession/puja etc, for non-Hindus it is easy to profile their victims on the basis of religion. Hindu devotees come under attack on several occasions by individual non-Hindus or mobs of non-Hindus owing to their animosity against Hinduism, its symbols and tradition/practices. There are several instances of Hindu devotees being attacked while they worship in temples or temporary religious structures, during religious processions, doing bhajan/kirtan/puja in their own homes, in the residential society etc. These attacks are perpetrated by non-Hindus primarily because of their animosity towards Hindus and their faith. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, there are two elements that make these hate crimes. First, the Hindus who come under attack are attacked violently while indulging in religious activity. Whether they are in a place of worship or not is immaterial to the crime. When individuals are attacked while indulging in religious practices, the attack in itself is a hindrance to their freedom to practice religion and therefore constitutes a hate crime. Secondly, religious supremacist doctrines and ideologies deem religious practices of Hindus to be offensive ab initio since they are considered “sinful” by these ideologies, worthy to be annihilated by force or coercion. Driven by these religious supremacist ideologies and doctrines, the attacks against Hindu devotees stem from intrinsic animosity towards Hinduism. In some cases, the trigger for the violence may be non-religious, however, it develops into a religiously motivated crime during the course of the violence. Since these attacks stem from animosity towards Hindus and Hinduism, they are considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. 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 ouster, Islamists 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 these assaults. Amid this ongoing persecution of Hindu minorities in the Islamic nation, this report indicates that a Saraswati Puja Mandap in Ishwardi Upazila of Pabna district, Bangladesh, was attacked by a group of Islamists. The attackers vandalised the pandal, damaged the idol of Goddess Saraswati, and assaulted local Hindus who attempted to resist them. The vandalism of the Saraswati Puja Mandap was a deliberate act of religious harassment driven by animosity towards Hindus. The perpetrators were fully aware of the sacred nature of Hindu religious symbols, yet chose to desecrate them to intimidate and provoke the Hindu community. Additionally, the physical assault on the devotees, which included women and children, highlights a broader pattern of religious intolerance. The opposition from local Muslim residents was not merely a disagreement but a violent suppression of Hindu religious expression in a public space, reflecting a systemic bias against Hindus. The targeted nature of the violence, aimed at silencing Hindu religious expression through intimidation and force, justifies categorising this as a hate crime motivated by religious intolerance and this is why this case has been added to the tracker.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
