Hindu man's home attacked, deity’s image desecrated over false blasphemy allegation
Tangail District, Bangladesh 
28 March, 2025
Case Summary
A violent Muslim mob laid siege to the house of a Hindu man in Sakhipur Upazila, Tangail district, Bangladesh, under the pretext of ‘blasphemy’. The attackers carried out extensive vandalism and desecration of religious symbols. The victim, identified as Shankar Saha, was accused by the mob of posting ‘offensive content’ on Facebook. Using this as justification, they ransacked his house, destroyed furniture, and looted belongings. The extremists also set fire to a photo of Goddess Lakshmi, desecrating the Hindu deity. According to the Sakhipur Police Station Officer-in-Charge, Md. Zakir Hossain, the attack had been planned and took place immediately after the conclusion of evening prayers (namaz). Disturbing visuals of the incident later surfaced on social media, revealing the extent of the destruction. Meanwhile, Shankar Saha informed the police that his Facebook ID had been hacked. Reports indicated that similar attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh had previously been carried out under the guise of ‘blasphemy’. The police confirmed the incident and launched an investigation into the matter. This incident highlights the ongoing vulnerability of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, who continue to face targeted violence and persecution. The lack of prompt action by law enforcement further emboldened the perpetrators, creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among Hindu families. Many victims were left displaced, struggling to rebuild their lives amidst the ruins of their homes and businesses. The destruction of temples and religious sites underscored the systematic attempt to erase Hindu cultural and spiritual identity. Reports of similar targeted violence against the minority community across various districts, especially after the violent ousting of Sheikh Hasina on 5th August 2024, indicate that these assaults were not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of religious intolerance and hostility. The absence of legal recourse and the failure of the authorities to hold the attackers accountable exacerbated the sense of marginalisation faced by the Hindu community, leaving them vulnerable to further violence and displacement.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the Hate Crime database in the tracker under the category- Attack not resulting in death. Under this, the first sub-category selected is- Attacked over 'Blasphemy'. Blasphemy essentially refers to the desecration of anything which is held sacred/holy to a group of people. However, for religious supremacist groups, the elements of ‘blasphemy’ are ever-changing, shifting and expanding – leading to infringement on the rights of other religious groups, freedom of speech and expression, threats and even physical violence. There are instances where blasphemy is also used as a dog whistle to target Hindus owing to intrinsic animosity towards Hinduism. There are several instances where stating truths as mentioned in the non-Hindu doctrine itself has led to unmitigated violence against Hindus. There have also been instances where non-Hindus have themselves created a ‘blasphemous’ situation, like placing a Quran in a temple, to use it as an excuse to attack Hindus. Essentially, Blasphemy charges are often made up and/or are used to shut down any form of criticism of non-Hindu faiths and as a tool to target Hindus. Any physical violence over Blasphemy charges against Hindus are foundationally based on animosity for Hindus and their faith owing to religious supremacist ideologies, therefore, such attacks would be documented as religious motivated hate crimes under this category. The second sub-category selected under the above-mentioned category 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. The second category selected for the case is- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, the sub-category selected is- Desecration of Hindu religious symbols. Icons and symbols or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations, is driven by animosity towards the faith itself which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The attack on Shankar Saha’s house was a hate crime as it was motivated by religious animosity and targeted both the individual and his religious identity. The mob, acting on an unverified accusation of ‘blasphemy’, engaged in systematic violence, vandalism, and desecration of Hindu religious symbols, indicating that the attack was not merely a spontaneous act of anger but a premeditated assault on the victim’s faith. The concept of ‘blasphemy’ has frequently been weaponised against Hindus, often with fabricated or exaggerated claims, as a means to justify violence. In this case, even though Shankar Saha stated that his Facebook account had been hacked, the mob proceeded with aggression, reflecting a broader pattern of using blasphemy allegations to target Hindus. As seen in several cases, the blasphemy law is often used as a tool of oppression and violence, leading to false accusations, mob justice, and social ostracisation of Hindus. This law, which is liberally used in Muslim-majority countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh to attack minority Hindus residing there, has become increasingly common in India too, where bloodthirsty Islamists often twist and use these laws to settle their scores with Hindus. The misuse of blasphemy laws against Hindus is often motivated by religious prejudice. Hindus are targeted because of their religious identity. Furthermore, the deliberate desecration of Hindu religious symbols, such as burning a picture of Goddess Lakshmi, underscores the targeted nature of the crime. The attack goes beyond personal enmity and is rooted in religious hostility, aiming to intimidate and marginalise Hindus within society. The act of setting fire to sacred imagery signals an intent to dehumanise and degrade the religious beliefs of the victim and his community, making this a clear instance of a religiously motivated hate crime.
Victim Details
Total Victim
1
Deceased
0
Gender
- Male 1
- Female 0
- Third Gender 0
- Unknown 0
Caste
- SC/ST 0
- OBC 0
- General 1
- Unknown 0
Age Group
- Minor 0
- Adult 1
- Senior Citizen 0
- Unknown 0
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Muslim Extremists
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
