In a country that claims to be a democracy but increasingly resembles a fascist Islamist regime, the cries of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh continue to go unheard. Each passing week brings another chilling tale of temples desecrated, families displaced, and daughters brutalised.
The latest horror comes from Cumilla, where a young Hindu mother of two was raped at knifepoint by Fazor Ali, a local leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Her only crime: being a Hindu woman in a land where religious identity has become a target. As the nation turns a blind eye, and justice remains elusive, the question lingers: how much more must the Hindu community endure before the world pays attention?
The woman, who was alone with her two children, was attacked inside her father’s home in Ramchandrapur Panchkitta village on the night of June 26.
The incident has sent shockwaves across the country and intensified concerns over the continued atrocities against the Hindu minority community in Bangladesh, particularly under the current interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.
A calculated assault in the dark of night
According to the detailed complaint filed by the survivor, Bipni Bala (21), she had been living at her parental home for two weeks after coming from her husband’s residence in Homna. Her husband, Bidhu Chandra Das, works in Dubai to support the family. During her stay, she noticed that Fazor Ali, a politically connected local from Bahechar (Purbo Para), had been stalking and verbally harassing her. The woman alleges that Ali had been trying to “do bad things” to her, and she had resisted him several times.
On the night of June 26, around 11:00 PM, Bipni’s parents had gone to attend a village fair with neighbours, leaving her alone at home with her two children. As the family slept in the bedroom, Fazor Ali allegedly broke into the house by manipulating the door lock. Once inside, he crept into the bedroom, pressed a knife to Bipni’s throat, and held her mouth shut.
This fearless woman from Bangladesh, brutally raped by Islamist monsters — and whose humiliation was shamelessly circulated by them — has stood up, openly, on camera, and roared: She is not afraid. She is ready to die if needed, but she will fight till her rapists are destroyed.… pic.twitter.com/JzWUorQVu1
— Radharamn Das राधारमण दास (@RadharamnDas) June 29, 2025
“I was sleeping with my daughter and son. Suddenly, I felt someone hold me down. In the dim light of our room, I recognised Fazor Ali. He had a knife in his hand. He threatened to kill me and my children if I screamed. Then he ripped off my saree and raped me,” Bipni recounted in her police complaint.
After committing the heinous act, the accused reportedly warned her of dire consequences if she spoke up. “He said he would kill me if I told anyone. But I screamed. Neighbours rushed in, caught him, and beat him up. But he managed to escape,” she added.
Graphic video surfaces, public outrage follows
What worsened the trauma was the circulation of a horrifying video of the incident on social media, further violating the dignity of the victim. Authorities suspect that one of the accused may have recorded the act or its aftermath, leading to widespread outrage.
Four individuals were arrested immediately after the video began circulating, as authorities initiated action under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000 and Bangladesh’s cyber laws related to the distribution of sexually explicit content.
On June 29, the Muradnagar police booked Fazor Ali, along with four others linked to the assault and the video leak. They were identified as:
Md. Ali Suman (30)—father: Md. Abdul Hayad
Seo Babu (28)—father: Alam Mia
Shariz (28)—father-in-law: Ghulam Mustafa
Md. Safir Hasan (26)—father: Moshe Ali
Medical examination and legal action
Following the incident, Bipni Bala was taken to Cumilla Medical College Hospital for a thorough medical examination. Police confirmed that rape had occurred based on the initial medical report. The Muradnagar police have since sealed off the crime scene and initiated further investigation.
“We are taking this case with utmost seriousness. The prime accused, Fazor Ali, is a known BNP activist and will be dealt with under the full extent of the law,” said Muradnagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) in a statement.
Organiser accesses complaint copy
Organiser accessed the formal complaint filed by Bipni Bala, which gives a chilling insight into her ordeal. The letter details how she had been married at the age of 19, is a mother of two, and had returned to her father’s home to stay temporarily. The letter, written in Bengali and translated for this report, reads:
“I, Bipni Bala, wife of Bidhu Chandra Das, was at my father’s home in Baherchar when Fazor Ali, an infamous man of bad character, forcibly entered our house while my parents were away. Holding a knife, he raped me while my children were sleeping beside me. I screamed when he left, and neighbours came running. He fled after being caught and beaten. I request the respected authorities to take strong legal action.”
Complaint letter by woman:
She is Bipni Bala wife of Bidhu Chandra Das and a mother of two. She was raped by Islamists Khati-al-Islam, Oli, Ali, Seo Mia, Shariz, Md Safir among others.
As the image is translated via Google lens, the date is misinterpreted as 2020, kindly… pic.twitter.com/cuo09H7CaD
— Subhi Vishwakarma (@subhi_karma) June 29, 2025
Political angle and communal tensions
Fazor Ali is reported to be an active member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which has a long and controversial history regarding its treatment of religious minorities. While the BNP leadership has remained silent on the matter, locals say Fazor Ali has previously harassed women, especially Hindu women, in the village, but no complaint was filed due to his political clout.
“Everyone in this area knows about Fazor’s criminal activities. He walks with political arrogance. No one dared to go against him before. Now the entire village is boiling in anger,” said Ratan Das, a local Hindu activist from Ramchandrapur.
The incident has also led to renewed criticism of the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus, especially from minority rights groups who argue that Hindus in Bangladesh have been repeatedly targeted with little justice.
Pattern of targeting Hindus
This case is not an isolated incident of violence against Hindus in Bangladesh. Shortly after the rape of Bipni Bala, two separate but equally disturbing incidents came to light:
1) In Barishal, a Hindu woman was discovered in a forest near Talukdar Market on Bhola Road. Her hands and feet were tied, and she had been wrapped in polythene. Locals suspect that she was raped and left to die.
🚫 Another horror in Barishal:
A married Hindu woman, hands and feet tied, wrapped in polythene, rescued from the jungle near Talukdar Market on Bhola Road. Suspected rape. Hindu lives are under attack. When will the world wake up? 🥲 #SaveBangladeshiHindus #HinduLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/1N0VlnlwjZ
— Voice of Bangladeshi Hindus 🇧🇩 (@VHindus71) June 29, 2025
2) In another incident from Ashashuni, Satkhira, an unidentified Hindu man was found tied up and murdered in a Keora grove near Kalyanpur Trimohona Ghat. His face was smashed beyond recognition, and the only identifier was a Tulsi garland around his neck, a symbol of Sanatan Dharma (Hindu faith).
These cases have raised grave concerns among human rights organisations and religious minority groups.
Widening demands for justice and safety
Several advocacy groups are now demanding a full-scale investigation, fast-track court hearings, and state protection for Bipni Bala and her children. Civil society leaders have also urged the UN Human Rights Commission to take note of the rising cases of communal and gender-based violence in Bangladesh.
As Fazor Ali and four others await trial, the case of Bipni Bala stands as a grim reminder of the deep-rooted vulnerabilities faced by Hindu women in Bangladesh. Despite ongoing calls for reform and protection, the justice system’s slow pace and the political sheltering of perpetrators continue to embolden criminals.
The need for urgent intervention, both at the national and international levels, has never been more pressing. Until then, the safety of thousands of Hindu women like Bipni Bala hangs in uncertainty.
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