On Wednesday, January 15, 2025, Indigenous student activists who are Buddhist religious minorities and their supporters, while attending their pre-announced protest program peacefully, were brutally attacked and severely injured by Muslim Extremist mob in the presence of Police force. The attacks happened in the capital city Dhaka of Bangladesh. The Daily Star newspaper reported that more than 20 Indigenous activists have been injured in the attack. The three critically injured activists were transferred to another hospital in Dhaka for proper treatment.
In the presence of Bangladesh police force, the Muslim Extremists used cricket stumps and large sticks draped with the national flag of Bangladesh in the attacks. After the attack, some of the attackers’ statements recorded of video camera that they had pre-planned the attack with the Police Administration. This violent attack using weapons draped with the national flag in the presence of the law enforcement authority is a reconfirmation that the Dr. Muhammad Yunus led Bangladesh Government is committing Genocide of religious minorities that include Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Government policemen were present at the venue but they played the role of a silent spectator giving a green light to the perpetrators. The attackers were neither stopped by the policemen nor arrested. Such a violent attack using the country’s national flag draped weapons will warrant serious allegation and arrest by any civilized government. But this is Bangladesh under the leadership of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus. The attackers are at large.
How the Muslim Extremist group unfolded this cruel attack?
The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) of Bangladesh Government has removed the graffiti featuring the word “আদিবাসী (Adivasi)” from the newly published and distributed textbooks for the academic year 2025. The English translation of this Bangla word আদিবাসী (Adivasi) is ‘Indigenous’ or ‘Native’ people. Indigenous students felt that the removal of the graffiti is to deny their existence by the government. They felt that the graffiti representing the Indigenous people should not have been removed.
On Wednesday, January 15, 2025, some indigenous student activists & supporters under the banner, Aggrieved Indigenous Student-Masses, arrived in front of the NCTB office located in Motijheel in Dhaka city. The objective is to hold a pre-announced peaceful program protesting against the removal of the graffiti. However, a group of Extremist Muslim activists identifying themselves as “Students for Sovereignty”, who had already positioned at the venue, brutally attacked the Indigenous students with cricket stumps and big sticks draped with the national flag of Bangladesh.
The Daily Star report published a partial list of the injured indigenous students as below (source: The Daily Star news):
- Rupaiya Shrestha Tanchangya, 24, a central leader of the Students Against Discrimination platform
- Isaba Suhrat, 25
- Rengiyong Mro, 27
- Don Jetra
- Futonto Chakma, 22
- Dhanojatra, 28
- Anonto Dhamay, 35
- DBC journalist Jewel Marak, 35
- Shaily, 27
- Donoai Mro, 24
- Tanichirang, 30
- Toni Chiran
- Rahee Nayab, and
- Many more whose named not published by the Daily Star
Victims: Indigenous students and Indigenous people who are Buddhist by religion, Buddhist religious minorities of Bangladesh. All religious minorities.
Place of attack: In front of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) office, Motijheel, Dhaka city, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Date of attack: Wednesday, January 15, 2025
News media:
- The Daily Star (Bangladesh news media is grossly ignoring to report violent attacks on Hindu religious minorities)
- Ekattor TV
Social media: