Religious Persecution in Bangladesh: Islamist grab 8 acre land of Hindus, threatened and assaulted them

In a troubling incident, a group of Islamists associated with the ruling Awami League (AL) party has been accused of unlawfully seizing eight acres of land from a Hindu family in Parulia village, Hatibandha upazila, Bangladesh. The alleged perpetrators, identified as Hafizul Islam, Abul Kalam, Hazrat Ali, and Redwan Ahmed, are reported to hold leadership positions within the AL party, serving as the President and General Secretary of Patikpara Union Ward No. 4, respectively.

The victims, Rathindra Nath Roy and his wife Sushila Rani, filed a complaint with local police but claim that no action has been taken. The couple accuses the land grabbers and their supporters of issuing threats, preventing them from accessing their own land.

The incident, which occurred on November 13, involved the Islamists assaulting Rathindra Nath Roy and his wife while they were sowing maize seeds on the field. The accused individuals purportedly assert ownership of the land and are alleged to be pressuring Rathindra to sign a non-judicial stamp paper, transferring ownership to the four Islamists.

According to Sushila Rani, the attackers physically assaulted the couple and are coercing them into relinquishing their land. The Daily Star reports that the accused individuals claim to have purchased the land for different amounts, ranging from Tk 80 lakh to Tk 87, and are requesting the Hindu family to sign non-judicial stamp papers due to the absence of land registry in Char areas.

When approached by The Daily Star, land grabber Abul Kalam defended the acquisition, stating that he and the other accused had purchased the land for Tk 80 lakh. Another accused, Hazrat Ali, claimed the land was bought for Tk 87. They justified the request for non-judicial stamps based on the alleged lack of land registry in Char areas.

Despite the victims filing a complaint, Officer-in-Charge Shah Alam of Hatibandha Police Station acknowledged the complaint but directed the local Union Parishad Chairman to address the matter locally, raising concerns about police inaction.

This incident is part of a wider trend of religious persecution faced by the Hindu community in Bangladesh, particularly in the lead-up to the upcoming elections. In Shailkupa upazila, Khulna division, Hindu families are reportedly being forced to sell their houses at meager prices to avoid religious persecution.

According to a report by Kalbela News, the minority community is facing threats from Islamists, and many Hindu families are migrating to other parts of the country. Instances include the illegal occupation of the residence of deceased Hindu man Satyendranath Saha, where a four-story building was constructed in its place. The accused include ‘Jubo League’ Chairman Shamim Hossain Mollah and his father Sabdar Hossain Mollah, associated with the ruling Sheikh Hasina-led Bangladesh Awami League party.

Despite complaints, no action has been taken against the accused, contributing to a growing number of cases where minority Hindu families lose their property to encroachment by local influential Muslim leaders. The systematic nature of these incidents, described as ‘land jihad,’ involves politicians and political workers using intimidation, threats, assault, and even vandalism of Hindu temples to coerce the sale of homes owned by the Hindu community in Shailkupa. These concerning developments underscore the need for a thorough investigation and intervention to protect the rights and safety of minority communities in Bangladesh.