With Islamists going door to door baying for the blood of Hindus, the anti-government protests in Bangladesh have escalated into full-fledged ‘anti-Hindu violence’. Attacks and hostility are being directed specifically towards Hindu homes and places of worship. Following the violent removal of Sheikh Hasina from office, numerous instances of looting, vandalism, and arson of Hindu homes have come to light. Hindus have been lynched, and the unabated violence has engulfed several Hindu temples across the country.
Reports indicate that Hindu temples have been targeted in various regions, including Natore, Dhamrai in Dhaka, Kalapara in Patuakhali, Shariatpur, and Faridpur. Additionally, houses in Jessore, Noakhali, Meherpur, Chandpur, and Khulna have faced attacks. In Dinajpur, 40 Hindu shops were vandalised.
The violence has had a particularly harrowing impact on Hindu women, several of whom have come forward to share their tales of horror.
In a video shared by Hindu Voice on August 8, several Hindu women from different areas of the Pirojpur district in Bangladesh narrated their plight. One victim recounted, “They came with swords and sharp weapons. They took everything. To save our daughters, we gave them everything we had.”
Another woman said, “At night, they came. They vandalised our homes and looted everything. We were hiding. They grabbed my brother-in-law’s wife and took her to another room. They raped her. Later, we recovered her; her face was tied with clothes. They wanted to cut her throat. To save her, we gave them all the gold ornaments.”
A third woman described a similar ordeal, saying, “We were sleeping. At night, they came. They were armed. They warned us saying, ‘Fifty of us have surrounded your house, there is no way you can escape.’ They looted everything. They grabbed me and took me to bed. They threatened me with murder. I pleaded with them to either spare me or kill me. They kept threatening me not to cry. They asked me to give away whatever valuables we had. I gave them all my ornaments, so they left me.”
Hindu women have faced brutal torture in #Bangladesh.
Listen to what these Hindu women of different areas of the #Pirojpur district said.
On the night of 05/08/2024, Islamists attacked several areas of #Pirojpur Town.
Islamists attacked Hindu houses in Rayer Kathi, Bramhan… pic.twitter.com/I0AZ4oyOI6
— Hindu Voice (@HinduVoice_in) August 7, 2024
According to sources cited by OpIndia, members of Jamaat-e-Islami have been compiling lists of Hindu businesses and houses since Sheikh Hasina’s fall from power. Many Hindus, speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, revealed that they are unable to move to safer locations because Jamaat-e-Islami groups and other Islamists are patrolling the streets with guns, making it impossible to flee.
On August 5, it was reported that Islamists attacked Hindu houses, shops, and temples in Bangladesh under the guise of protests against Sheikh Hasina’s government. Despite Hasina’s resignation from the Prime Minister’s post, the protests and attacks on Hindus have continued. India’s Minister of External Affairs, Dr. S. Jaishankar, has expressed concerns over the attacks on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh.
Notably, several videos and photos of attacks on Hindus have surfaced on social media, highlighting the extent of the violence and the urgent need for intervention.
