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Jan 12, 2026
Vladimir Adityanaath

Systematic Violence and Targeted Persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh: An Evidence-Based Assessment of Incidents, Patterns, and State Response (Nov–Dec 2025)

1. Statistical Overview and Pattern Analysis Between the documented incidents compiled in this report, at least 82 distinct acts of violence, intimidation, or persecution targeting members of the Hindu minority community have been recorded during November and December months of 2025. These incidents have directly affected no fewer than 317 individuals, excluding broader secondary impacts such as displacement, community-wide fear, loss of livelihood and long-term insecurity. The nature, frequency, and geographic dispersion of these incidents demonstrate a consistent and discernible pattern of targeted harm rather than random, isolated or purely opportunistic criminal activity. 1.1 Breakdown of Recorded Incidents Murders: 17 Targeted killings, including lynchings, stabbings, shootings and deaths following abduction, demonstrate extreme violence and a persistent environment of impunity. Attacks, vandalisation, desecration or obstruction of Hindu religious sites: 13 Including destruction of idols, theft from temples, obstruction of access to places of worship and desecration or occupation of cremation grounds, acts that directly undermine freedom of religion or belief and cultural continuity. Targeted attacks intended to economically impoverish Hindu families: 15 Deliberate destruction of crops, arson of homes and businesses, looting of savings, and systematic extortion aimed at rendering affected families economically unviable. Land grabs and forced dispossession: 12 Illegal occupation of ancestral land, seizure of harvested crops, coercive threats, and intimidation designed to compel displacement or permanent migration. Abduction of Hindu women and girls: 2 Cases involving forcible removal from family protection, unlawful confinement, and threats underscore acute gender-specific vulnerabilities. Hate speech by political, religious, or legal actors: 4 Public statements by political figures, religious leaders, or members of the legal profession that dehumanise Hindus or delegitimise Hindu religious practices contribute to a permissive environment for discrimination, hostility, and violence. Arrests or attacks under blasphemy-related allegations: 4 The use of “hurting religious sentiments” selectively as an excuse to criminalise identity, suppress expression or legitimise mob action. 1.2 Observed Patterns and Modus Operandi Taken together, these figures reveal several recurring and interlinked patterns: Disproportionate targeting of Hindus in rural and semi-urban areas, often distant from sustained media scrutiny or rapid institutional oversight. A strong overlap between economic violence, land dispossession and threats of forced migration, indicating coercive strategies aimed at long-term removal rather than momentary harm. Repeated failures of law-enforcement intervention, including delayed responses, lack of follow-up or routine attribution of responsibility to “unknown miscreants,” resulting in minimal accountability. The strategic use of fear — through murder, arson, sexual violence, abduction and public humiliation to enforce silence, compliance, and displacement. 1.3 Pattern Characterisation: RULLS Model The violence documented in this report conforms to what may be described as a Random, Unceasing, Low-Level, Scattered (RULLS) violence model. Under this model, persistent yet geographically dispersed acts of violence generate continuous insecurity without triggering immediate national or international alarm. While individual incidents may appear isolated when assessed independently, their frequency, similarity, and cumulative impact reveal a sustained environment of persecution. 1.4 Information Suppression and Media Constraints The scale and consistency of reporting by mainstream Bangladeshi media outlets remain markedly limited in comparison to the volume of incidents documented by minority rights organisations and local monitoring groups. Several incidents are reported primarily as generic “law and order” issues without acknowledgement of targeting patterns or the minority status of victims. Concerns regarding media pressure intensified following attacks on media institutions on 18 December 2025, when the offices of outlets such as The Daily Star and Prothom Alo were surrounded and subjected to arson attacks. Journalists investigating minority-related violence have also faced direct threats. In November 2025, journalist Trina Roy Chowdhury publicly reported threats of gang rape and expressed grave concerns for the safety of herself and her child, underscoring the risks faced by those documenting these abuses. 1.5 Organised Hate Propagation and Grassroots Mobilisation Evidence gathered since September 2024 indicates that hardline Islamist groups have engaged in coordinated and frequent grassroots-level mobilisation, including leaflet distribution and local gatherings extending even to remote villages. These campaigns promote narratives that dehumanise Hindus and normalise hostility. One such leaflet circulated at the village level during late 2024 is reproduced below for reference. This sustained ideological environment has been repeatedly observed to translate into acts of violence arising from minor disputes or everyday interactions, a pattern documented throughout November and December across multiple districts in the form of murder, assault, abduction, and property destruction. 1.5 State Response and Compensation Gaps A notable trend emerging from the data is the targeted use of economic destruction as a tool of persecution. This approach has proven particularly effective due to the near absence of restitution or state-supported recovery mechanisms. During the reporting period, compensation by the current interim administration was extended to Hindu victims in only one documented case, that of Dipu Chandra Das, leaving the overwhelming majority of affected families without redress. 1.6 Methodological Note This report is based on systematic documentation compiled from ground-level reports produced by local human rights and minority rights organisations, supplemented and cross-checked where possible with national and regional media reporting. Each incident referenced in this analysis has been chronologically recorded, source-linked with URLs and case summaries in Annexure I, enabling independent verification. Given persistent constraints on media freedom, structural underreporting and fear-driven non-disclosure by victims, the figures cited represent minimum documented and verifiable incidents, not the full scale of occurrence. 1.7 Conclusion Viewed holistically, this statistical profile strongly indicates systematic persecution rather than sporadic criminality. The documented patterns raise serious concerns under international human rights standards, including violations of the right to life, freedom of religion or belief, security of person, equality before the law, and protection from discrimination. These findings warrant urgent, independent scrutiny and remedial action consistent with Bangladesh’s obligations under international human rights law. 2. Annexure 1: Chronological Documentation of Reported Atrocities Against Hindus in (Nov–Dec 2025) HinduPersecutionBangladesh_NovDec2025_EveidencebasedAssessment.pdf

Jan 06, 2026
Dr Ryan Baidya

The Incorruptible Calendar: How Ancient Cultures Used the Stars to Date-Stamp History

Historical records are fragile things. Papyrus turns to dust, libraries burn, and even inscriptions carved in stone are erased by time. Ancient cultures understood this vulnerability and discovered a "backup drive" that no human hand could alter and no passage of time could erase: the solar system itself. By meticulously recording the positions of the sun, moon, and planets against the backdrop of specific stars at the exact moment of a major event, these cultures created an astronomical date-stamp, an incorruptible backup of their history. This article explains why and how ancient civilisations used the sky as a cosmic clock. We will explore examples from around the world and see how this powerful method can reveal hidden connections between major historical events, transforming our understanding of the past. These ancient techniques reveal that the heavens were not just a source of wonder, but a permanent record of human achievement. Why Use the Stars? The Logic of the Cosmic Clock Ancient civilisations turned to the sky for timekeeping for three fundamental reasons, each blending practicality with profound belief. Uniqueness and Permanence: Because each planet moves at a different speed, a specific alignment—such as Jupiter in one constellation, Saturn in another, and a solar eclipse occurring simultaneously—is statistically rare. Some configurations repeat only once every several thousand years, creating a unique "fingerprint" for a moment in time. Unlike scrolls or monuments, the stars cannot be destroyed by war, fire, or flood. A "Cloud" Backup & Retro-Calculation: The sky serves as a permanent, accessible record. If an ancient text describes a celestial alignment, modern astronomers can use a technique called retro-calculation. By inputting the data into planetary software, they can "rewind" the sky to find the exact day that a specific alignment occurred, much like using a film's timecode to find a specific frame. Divine Validation: In many cultures, the heavens reflected the will of the gods. An astronomical date-stamp was more than just a record of time; it was proof that an event—a king's coronation, a battle, or the founding of a dynasty—was cosmically sanctioned and divinely approved. These principles were not confined to a single culture but were applied across the globe, creating a universal language for marking history. A Global Tradition: Date-Stamps from Around the World From the epics of India to the royal annals of China, cultures worldwide independently developed methods of astronomical date-stamping. Ancient India: The "Astronomical DNA" of Epics Indian texts like the Ramayana and Mahabharata are famous for embedding their timelines using "astronomical DNA." Instead of the 12 zodiac signs, they used the 27 Nakshatras (lunar mansions)—a more precise, star-based division of the sky that tracks the Moon's rapid movement. The Birth of Rama in the Ramayana is a prime example. The text describes the specific planetary positions at the moment of his birth: the Sun in Aries, Saturn in Libra, Jupiter in Cancer, Venus in Pisces, and Mars in Capricorn. Using modern planetary software to find this unique alignment, researchers like Nilesh Oak have calculated a precise date of November 29, 12240 BCE. Babylonia: The First Data Scientists of the Sky The Babylonians were the world's first data scientists of the sky. They maintained meticulous Astronomical Diaries that recorded planetary movements and celestial events alongside political news and the price of grain. A famous example is the Death of Alexander the Great. Babylonian tablets recorded planetary positions for the year he died, including a crucial detail: an eclipse of the Moon in the constellation of Virgo. By matching this description, historians confirmed his death date with high precision as June 10/11, 323 BCE. Ancient China: The Mandate of Heaven In ancient China, celestial events were deeply tied to political legitimacy. A rare conjunction of the five visible planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) was seen as a powerful sign that a new dynasty had received the "Mandate of Heaven." The Bamboo Annals, an ancient chronicle, record such a five-planet cluster in the constellation Quail Fire (Leo) just before the Zhou conquest of the Shang Dynasty. Modern astronomers have calculated that this rare event took place in 1059 BCE, allowing historians to date this crucial dynastic transition. The Americas: Cycles of Venus and the Moon Sophisticated timekeeping was also central to cultures in the Americas. The Mayas used their highly advanced Long Count calendar, synchronised to the cycles of Venus. Inscriptions on their stone monuments often use "Star Wars" glyphs to date-stamp battles, timing them to the appearance of Venus as the Morning Star. The Ancestral Puebloans at Chaco Canyon left records demonstrating long-term observation. The famous "Sun Dagger" petroglyph tracks not only the solstices but also the complex 18.6-year Lunar Standstill cycle, a subtle "wobble" in the moon's path, proving they were tracking time across decades. These ancient examples show the theory in practice. Now, let's apply the technique to a modern event to see its power firsthand. A Modern Demonstration: Date-Stamping the Birth of a Nation To truly understand this method, we can apply it to a well-known modern event: the birth of the United States on July 4, 1776. Using the ancient Indian Panchangam (five limbs of time) system, we can create a celestial date-stamp that would be recognisable to a Vedic sage. First, we establish the lunar calendar details for that day: Lunar Marker Position on July 4, 1776 Tithi Krishna Chaturthi (4th day of the waning moon) Nakshatra Dhanishta (The "Symphony" Star) Month Ashadha Next, we map the positions of the planets (Grahas) in the zodiac signs (Rashis). An ancient chronicler would read this as an unmistakable signature: a revolution born not of conquest, but of intellect and law. Planet (Graha) Zodiac Sign (Rashi) Significance in Ancient Astrology Sun (Surya) Mithuna (Gemini) The 'King' planet in Gemini, the sign of documents and declarations, precisely reflects the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Moon (Chandra) Kumbha (Aquarius) The mind of the people in Aquarius, the sign of collective humanity and revolutionary ideals. Jupiter (Guru) Mithuna (Gemini) The planet of Law and Wisdom aligned with the Sun, cementing the new nation's foundation in legal principle. Saturn (Shani) Kanya (Virgo) The planet of structure and discipline in Virgo, the sign of service and meticulous detail. Mars (Mangala) Mithuna (Gemini) The 'Warrior' planet in Gemini, signifying a conflict fought over ideas and principles, not just territory. Venus (Shukra) Mithuna (Gemini) The planet of agreements and values, joining a powerful four-planet cluster in the sign of communication. An ancient chronicler would summarise this unique celestial fingerprint in a format similar to a stone inscription: "In the month of Ashadha, during the Krishna Paksha (waning fortnight), on the day of Chaturthi, while the Moon dwelled in the star of Dhanishta, four great lights, the Sun, Jupiter, Mars, and Venus, assembled together in the house of the Twins (Mithuna), signaling a great upheaval of thought and the birth of a new Order." This detailed sky map is a unique signature. If all written records of 1776 were lost, a future astronomer could find this description and calculate its exact date. But can this method do more than just verify dates? Can it reveal deeper connections between historical events? From Data to Insight: The Cosmic Echoes in History The true power of astronomical date-stamping emerges when we compare the sky maps of different events. By overlaying the celestial signature for the founding of the USA (1776) with that of India's independence (August 15, 1947), we find startling "cosmic echoes" that suggest a shared thematic DNA. The 'Tithi' Connection The first clue to their shared destiny is found in the lunar cycle itself. Both nations were born on the exact same lunar day: Krishna Chaturthi, the 4th day of the waning moon. In Vedic tradition, this day is ruled by Ganesha, the "Remover of Obstacles," suggesting both events were born not from ease, but from the active removal of massive barriers—in both cases, the British Empire. The Mars 'Fingerprint' In both the 1776 and 1947 sky-maps, Mars—the planet of struggle, pioneering energy, and liberty—was located in the same star mansion: Mrigashira. Known as the "Searching Star," its symbol is a deer's head, representing a restless quest. This links both nations to a foundational DNA of pursuit—the "Pursuit of Happiness" for America and the quest for "Self-Rule" (Swaraj) for India. This comparative table highlights the key overlaps and differences, revealing a shared foundation but a unique focus. Feature 1776 Date-Stamp 1947 Date-Stamp Meaning Lunar Day Krishna Chaturthi Krishna Chaturthi Same "Obstacle-Removing" energy. Mars Position Mrigashira Mrigashira The "Pioneer/Searcher" spirit. Cluster Sign Mithuna (Gemini) Karka (Cancer) 1776: Ideas/Laws. 1947: Land/Motherland. Moon Star Dhanishta Pushya Both are stars of prosperity and "wealth." An ancient observer might conclude that these are "Brother Nations," one founded on the principle of intellect and law (Gemini), the other on emotion and the motherland (Cancer), but both bridged by a common revolutionary spirit. This connection becomes even clearer when we add a third historical event to the timeline. The Incorruptible Narrative: A Trilogy of Events Adding the date-stamp for the end of World War II (September 2, 1945) transforms the story of these two democracies into a three-part historical narrative. The key astronomical feature of this day is the Moon's position in the Nakshatra of Punarvasu, a star whose name literally means "the Return of the Light" or "becoming good again." This creates an extraordinary Punarvasu link that synthesises the Indian cultural context with global history. Punarvasu is the birth star of Bhagwan Rama, symbolising the victory of Dharma (justice) over chaos. In 1776, Jupiter, the planet of Justice and Law, was in Punarvasu. In 1945, the Moon, representing the global collective consciousness, was in Punarvasu. An ancient scholar would read this as a complete narrative: the principle of justice (Dharma) established in 1776 was finally restored to the world's consciousness in 1945. When viewed together, the three events form a coherent trilogy, best seen in this master chronology. Feature The Birth of the USA (July 4, 1776) End of World War II (Sept 2, 1945) The Birth of India (Aug 15, 1947) Lunar Day (Tithi) Krishna Chaturthi (4th) Ekadashi (11th) Krishna Chaturthi (4th) Lunar Star (Nakshatra) Dhanishta (The Drum) Punarvasu (Return of Light) Pushya (The Flower) Mars Position Mrigashira (The Hunt) Ardra (The Storm) Mrigashira (The Hunt) Primary Theme The Quest for Liberty The Restoration of Order The Awakening of the Land The Gregorian calendar gives us a sequence—'76, '45, '47. The incorruptible calendar gives us a story: a principle of liberty is born (1776), the world fights to preserve it (1945), and that principle is then seeded anew in another part of the world (1947). Conclusion: A Science of Cycles The ancient practice of astronomical date-stamping offers far more than a novel way to tell time. Its benefits are concrete and profound. Verification: It allows us to match ancient textual records to the unchangeable mathematics of the heavens, turning myth into verifiable history. Thematic Insight: It reveals the symbolic "character" of an event, providing a deeper layer of contextual understanding that a simple date cannot. Cross-Cultural Linkages: It provides a universal language for history, allowing us to see how seemingly unrelated events, separated by centuries and continents, share the same cosmic timing. The ancients didn't just tell stories; they encrypted their history into the clockwork of the universe. By accessing this celestial record, we are doing more than verifying dates; we are restoring a lost layer of meaning. We are reading the "metadata" of history that its authors encoded for posterity. This method transforms the study of the past from a series of random events into a science of cycles, revealing a deliberate orchestration written in the stars.

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Featured Articles

Systematic Violence and Targeted Persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh: An Evidence-Based Assessment of Incidents, Patterns, and State Response (Nov–Dec 2025)

The Incorruptible Calendar: How Ancient Cultures Used the Stars to Date-Stamp History

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