The Freedom From Religion Foundation is deploring the brutal mob assault and arrest of 25-year-old Bijoy Debnath in Bangladesh — an appalling act of religious persecution simply because he wished “Happy Birthday” to an atheist in exile.
Debnath, a Hindu resident of Sitakunda municipality (map) in Chattogram district, was attacked on Aug. 9 in broad daylight by a mob of so-called “student protesters” affiliated with the extremist group Tawhidi Janata. His “offense” was sending well wishes to Asad Noor, a Bangladeshi atheist blogger and critic of religious extremism currently living abroad. After viciously beating Debnath, the mob turned him over to police, who then arrested the victim on fabricated “blasphemy” charges instead of prosecuting his attackers.
“This is an outrageous miscarriage of justice that shows how blasphemy accusations are weaponized to crush dissent, target atheists and other minorities and enforce religious conformity,” says Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president. “No one should face violence, arrest or harassment for showing kindness to a friend, let alone for expressing a secular or dissenting viewpoint.”
This incident comes amid a sharp rise in religious violence in Bangladesh, particularly targeting religious minorities. Since the removal of Sheikh Hasina as prime minister a year ago, anti-Christian violence has surged, with reports from Open Doors documenting that more than 100 families have been pressured to renounce their faith, and at least 36 attacks on Christians or Christian property have occurred. There have also been instances covered in the Bangladeshi media of Hindus bearing the brunt of violence.
The attack on Debnath harkens back to a horrific purge of atheists in Bangladesh 10 years ago, beginning when Avijit Roy, a well-known atheist and Bangladeshi-American, was hacked to death on the streets of Dhaka, with his wife nearly killed. That crime set off a series of horrifying executions of other so-called atheists bloggers, with activists and sympathizers forced to flee Bangladesh. In 2018, FFRF established the Avijit Roy Courage Award in conjunction with his widow, Rafida Bonya Ahmed, also an author and activist. The first recipient was the Bangladeshi gay rights magazine Roopbaan, edited by Rasel Ahmed. FFRF’s Nonbelief Relief Fund has helped several endangered individuals leave Bangladesh. Mubarak Bala, who was recently released from Nigerian prison for the “crime” of blasphemy, will receive the Avijit Roy Courage Award this year at the FFRF convention in October, accepting remotely.
The climate of impunity in Bangladesh unfortunately continues to embolden extremists and further erodes the rights and safety of atheists and non-Muslims.
The State Department and the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom need to take swift action to press for the immediate and unconditional release of Bijoy Debnath, protection for him and his family and prosecution of those responsible for the hate-driven assault. And the United States should initiate an expedited review to determine whether Bangladesh meets the criteria for designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act in light of recent such incidents.
FFRF stands with Debnath, Noor and all those persecuted for rejecting or questioning religion. It will continue to advocate for true religious freedom — which can exist only where religion is separated from government — around the world.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters of nontheism. With more than 42,000 members, FFRF advocates for freethinkers’ rights across the globe. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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