Bangladesh: Hindu minor girl abducted by Islamists

Khormkhali village, Chitalmari upazila, Bagerhat district-
Hindu minor girl Brishti Barai was forcibly abducted by Mohammad Shakib Khan and his gang for coercive conversion and a forced nikah. Her abduction highlights the rising persecution faced by Hindu girls in Islamic Bangladesh, as they are targeted for their religion and gender by Islamists seeking to impose forced conversions and marriages.

Hindu girls, particularly minors, are routinely abducted, coerced into converting to Islam, and forced into marriages with their captors, often under threats of violence. These acts of religious violence are part of a broader pattern aimed at diminishing the Hindu population.

Despite the grave nature of such crimes, local police remain uncooperative, frequently siding with the perpetrators or failing to intervene altogether. This lack of action from authorities, coupled with societal indifference, reinforces the vulnerability of Hindu girls and families, who are left without recourse to justice or protection.

Disclaimer: Due to state restrictions in Bangladesh, independent follow-ups on such incidents are challenging.