Source: HRCBM. Muslim mobs attacked and destroyed local Temples, houses and businesses of Hindus in Narail, Bangladesh on July 15th, 2022.
Muslim mobs attacked Hindus, pillaged their homes, businesses and temples over alleged posts by a 18 year old Hindu boy which according to them insults religious sentiments of the Muslims. On July 15th, Muslims mobs swooped on the minority communities after the Jumma Namaz and went on a brutal rampage destroying temples, grocery stores and houses belonging to members of the Hindu community in the Sahapara area of Lohagara, Narail, Bangladesh. The rampage continued from early evening to late night. Police arrived the next morning yet did not step in and allowed the rampage and looting of Hindu properties to continue.
The mob, at first, threw stones after which they broke into the Sahapara temple and broke the furniture kept inside the premises. They attacked and vandalised a grocery store belonging to the father of the teenager who published the Facebook post that supposedly hurt their sentiments. The violent Muslim mob then went on rampage gutting down houses in the locality.
When HRCBM team visited the Sahapara area, they could barely find any Hindus in the villages. The remaining houses that are ransacked but not gutted down are standing as desolated. Many Hindus left their houses and took shelter with relatives and friends who are living elsewhere in the district.
In recent years, Bangladesh witnessed an increased rise of intolerance that has plagued its society and minorities are increasingly subject to violent attacks by Muslims. Making things worse, the digital security act (DSA) which was enforced by the government to curtail disinformation is now used by Islamists as a Blasphemy law subjugating minority communities in the country. HRCBM has investigated 100 false cases in which victims are charged on the false pretext of blasphemy under the DSA. This misuse of law and continual attacks by Muslims is threatening the existence of minorities in Bangladesh. In the last few years, more than 4000 attacks took place against the country’s dwindling minorities but the government has yet to take any punitive action against criminals. Situation of Bangladeshi Minorities is very alarming.
