Bangladesh horror: Hindu woman gang-raped, tied to tree and humiliated in Kaliganj

Gang rape and public humiliation of a Hindu woman underline the worsening human rights crisis in Bangladesh

January 5, 2026

Attacks on Hindus continue in Bangladesh amid Kaliganj rape case

Hindu woman gang-raped, tied to tree and assaulted

A horrific assault on a Hindu woman in central Bangladesh has once again laid bare the grim reality of unchecked violence and systemic hostility faced by religious minorities in the country, raising serious questions about law, order, and minority protection under the current dispensation.

A 40-year-old Hindu woman was allegedly gang-raped by two men in Kaliganj, a sub-district of Jhenaidah, before being tied to a tree, brutally assaulted, and publicly humiliated by having her hair forcibly cut off. The accused allegedly recorded the crime and circulated the video on social media, in an act that underscores both extreme cruelty and a culture of impunity.

According to the survivor’s police complaint and local media reports, the woman had purchased three decimals of land and a two-storey house for Tk 2 million around two-and-a-half years ago from a man identified as Shahin and his brother in Ward No. 7 of Kaliganj municipality. Soon after the sale, Shahin allegedly began making indecent proposals and harassing her, exploiting her vulnerability as a Hindu widow. When she repeatedly rejected his advances, the harassment allegedly escalated into violence.

On Saturday evening, when two relatives from her village were visiting, Shahin and his associate Hasan allegedly stormed into her house and raped her. The accused then reportedly demanded Tk 50,000 from her. When she refused, they assaulted her relatives and drove them away, according to the complaint.

As the woman screamed for help, the attackers allegedly tied her to a tree, cut off her hair, tortured her and filmed the entire ordeal before circulating the video online. The survivor reportedly lost consciousness due to the assault. Local residents later rescued her and rushed her to Jhenaidah Sadar Hospital.

Hospital superintendent Dr. Md. Mostafizur Rahman said the woman initially did not disclose the incident. “Later, through medical examination, we learned that she had been subjected to abuse,” he said, highlighting the trauma and fear that often prevent survivors from speaking out.

The woman subsequently filed a formal complaint at Kaliganj Police Station, naming Shahin and Hasan. Jhenaidah Additional Superintendent of Police Billal Hossain said her statement had been recorded and claimed that police would take “the highest possible legal action” after investigation. However, such assurances have become routine amid a growing pattern of brutal crimes against minorities, with convictions remaining rare and deterrence weak.

Disturbingly, the alleged gang rape took place on the same day a Hindu man, Khokon Chandra Das, died after being attacked and set ablaze by a mob in Shariatpur district. Das had reportedly escaped by jumping into a pond but later succumbed to his injuries. Just days earlier, on December 24, another Hindu youth, Amrit Mondal, was allegedly lynched by a mob in Kalimohar Union. While the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government condemned the killing, it controversially claimed Mondal was an extortionist and denied any communal angle.

On December 18, Dipu Chandra Das, 25, was beaten to death by a mob after being falsely accused of blasphemy. His body was hung from a tree and set on fire, in a chilling echo of mob violence that minorities in Bangladesh increasingly fear as a norm rather than an exception.

India has expressed grave concern over what it has described as “unremitting hostility” against minorities in Bangladesh under the Yunus government, stating that it is closely monitoring developments. The repeated targeting of Hindus through lynchings, sexual violence, public humiliation and mob attacks has drawn international attention and intensified calls for accountability.

The Kaliganj incident is not an isolated crime but part of a disturbing pattern that exposes Bangladesh’s failure to protect its minorities, enforce the rule of law, and deliver justice. As atrocities mount, silence and denial from authorities risk becoming complicity, leaving vulnerable communities to face violence with little hope of protection or redress.

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