In the aftermath of the “student protests” and the subsequent military coup that led to the departure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from Bangladesh, the country’s Hindu minority has been facing relentless attacks by Islamist extremists. The Hindu community, which makes up only about 8 per cent of Bangladesh’s population, is now in grave danger as violence escalates across the nation.
Despite the severity of the situation, leftist influencers and some media outlets have been accused of downplaying the atrocities against Bangladeshi Hindus.
A chilling example of the threats facing this community was revealed through a message shared in a private Telegram group of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), later forwarded to a public Jamaat-e-Islami channel. The message declared that “Hindus need to be taught a lesson, so they never find the courage to protest again,” and outlined a strategy to portray the suffering of Hindus as a political conspiracy by the Awami League. The message also mentioned plans to infiltrate Hindu protests with Awami League flags to discredit their cause.
IMPORTANT FROM BANGLADESH 🚨
A message was shared in a private telegram group of BNP. That message was forwarded to a public channel of Jamaatis. It says that “Hindus need to be taught a lesson so they never find the courage to protest again”, and that the plight of Hindus… pic.twitter.com/tuAytAoG3w
— Nupur J Sharma (@UnSubtleDesi) August 11, 2024
Over the past few days, desperate cries for help from Bangladeshi Hindus have flooded social media, with many reaching out to Hindu organisations and prominent pro-Hindu figures for support. Supreme Court advocate J Sai Deepak, OpIndia editor Nupur J Sharma and others have been among those receiving these distress messages, which reveal the terror and despair gripping the Hindu community.
One message pleaded for the Indian government to allow more flexible entry for Bangladeshi Hindus, stressing that many are economically stable and would not burden the country.
Another urgent appeal warned of an impending genocide, with Hindu homes being burned and families hiding in fear. The sender cautioned of Islamist plans to destabilise Indian border states and expand their influence, calling for immediate mobilisation to prevent further massacres. “This is a true ‘Dharm Yudha,’” the message read, urging Hindus to stand firm in the face of this existential threat.
A Bangladeshi Hindu parent expressed deep anxiety over the escalating violence, sharing a tragic family history of suffering during past conflicts. “I fear for my son’s future,” the parent wrote, seeking guidance on how to protect their family and escape to India.
1. In this thread,I will share whatever mails/messages I have received from #BangladeshiHindus without revealing their identities. Pls consider sharing this thread widely so that the world knows the terror they live in & how “healing” isn’t remotely in their foreseeable future. pic.twitter.com/7BClDQlkV0
— Sai Deepak J (@jsaideepak) August 11, 2024
Another message from a Hindu in Kolkata, whose family fled Bangladesh during the 1971 Liberation War, detailed the harrowing situation of their relatives still in Bangladesh. They described how their cousins were forced to flee their homes and take refuge in a single room, living in fear with all lights and fans turned off to avoid detection. The sender also criticised media reports, arguing that images of Muslims protecting Hindu temples were staged and did not reflect the true severity of the situation.
In the UK, a Hindu individual reported witnessing Bangladeshi Muslims celebrating the resignation of their Prime Minister. When approached by Hindus, they felt a sense of intimidation from the crowd’s hostile stares. The message conveyed frustration that many Hindus, both in India and abroad, are not fully grasping the seriousness of the situation or raising their voices against the violence.
One message from a Hindu girl in Bangladesh expressed her anguish over the recent violence and urged immediate action to protect the Hindu community. Another, from a Bangladeshi student, highlighted the dire situation for Hindus in the Jessore and Khulna regions, pleading for assistance while requesting confidentiality.
The distressing reports continue to pour in, with one message detailing severe attacks on Hindus in the Sylhet division, including the burning of temples, looting, and forced occupation of homes. The sender also reported incidents of rape by madrasa students and widespread fear among the Hindu community, calling for urgent intervention to prevent a potential refugee crisis.
“The situation is more severe than just political opposition,” one message emphasised, criticising the distortion of historical facts and the spread of misinformation by Islamist extremists. Another message from a Hindu shared their frustration with a friend who dismissed concerns about the ongoing genocide, highlighting the apathy and disbelief that many face when trying to raise awareness.
The horrific atrocities being committed—looting, arson, lynching, rapes, temple destruction, and the ruin of libraries and heritage sites—are reminiscent of past horrors, such as the destruction of Hampi in 1565, the events of 1971, and the violence of 1992. As the situation in Bangladesh spirals out of control, many fear that the attacks and persecution will only intensify unless immediate action is taken.
OpIndia journalist Nupur shared that a message in a private BNP Telegram group, later forwarded to a public Jamaat-e-Islami channel, called for teaching Hindus “A lesson so they never find the courage to protest again” and instructed that their plight be portrayed as a political conspiracy by the Awami League. The message also mentioned plans to infiltrate Hindu protests with Awami flags to discredit their cause.
She also shared on August 9, “A Bangladesh Hindu organisation has told me that tens of Hindus have died because they were denied medical treatment by hospitals during the violence. Earlier, they had told me that several hospitals were specifically denying treatment to Hindus”.
On August 8, she wrote, “As I call it a day, I am astounded by those who urged people to not report on the atrocities against Hindus on the 5th. And then, when others ensured that the Hindu persecution doesn’t go unnoticed, they jumped on the bandwagon to shed crocodile tears. In a span of 3 days, they went from “don’t talk about it” to “look Hindus are dying” to “hey, why aren’t Hindus defending themselves”. ”
She also shared, the Hindus telling her, “Every Hindu I spoke to told me they fear the worst. They told me that if not today, in a couple of years they will be wiped out because Bangladesh is now on its path to becoming Taliban-esque. They fear that Yunus would be terrible for Hindus since he is in bed with the Jamaat. ”
Messages from Bangladesh pic.twitter.com/QDIZNt2qtu
— Nupur J Sharma (@UnSubtleDesi) August 7, 2024
The harrowing accounts shared by Bangladeshi Hindus in these distress messages paint a grim picture of the persecution they face. Despite the global media spotlight on the crisis, the situation continues to deteriorate, with reports of widespread attacks, killings, and the destruction of Hindu homes and temples.
