What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
Hindu Voice Team: A disturbing case of forced religious conversion and abduction has sent shockwaves through Kurigram after two Hindu sisters, missing since September 16, resurfaced in a suspiciously staged video. Rights groups are warning that the incident is part of a broader pattern of persecution against religious minorities in Bangladesh.
The victims — Snigdha Rani (24), a third-year English student at Kurigram Government College, and Purnima Rani (18), a twelfth grader — are daughters of primary school teacher Shailendra Nath Barman. The two vanished suddenly earlier this month, leaving their family devastated.
On September 29, a video appeared on Facebook showing the sisters in burqas, seated in an unidentified location. Snigdha read out a series of statements, claiming that both had converted to Islam in 2022 and had left home “on their own.” Purnima, however, remained silent except for a brief introduction. Throughout the recording, she appeared visibly distressed, with a pale, tearful face that betrayed fear and coercion.
Snigdha displayed an affidavit as “proof” of their conversion, while insisting no one had pressured them. But her father, Shailendra Nath Barman, strongly rejected this claim:
“The words were forced into their mouths. It was all scripted. My younger daughter’s face was broken — she was clearly on the verge of tears. They only called once after leaving home, crying, before the line was cut. Since then, nothing. We don’t know who has them, or how they are being kept.”
He also dismissed claims that neighbors were harassing the sisters’ acquaintances: “That’s a false narrative, planted so we stop searching.”
Human rights advocates say the case bears all the hallmarks of a forced conversion network operating under the guise of “voluntary acceptance.” Such incidents, they warn, are increasingly used to target vulnerable members of minority communities — especially women and young girls.
International Rights Concerns
Global human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have previously documented rising cases of minority persecution, abductions, and forced conversions in Bangladesh. Advocacy groups argue that the Kurigram sisters’ case fits into this broader pattern, where Hindu girls and women are especially at risk.
Activists say the state’s inaction emboldens perpetrators. “When police fail to act swiftly, it sends a dangerous signal that forced conversions will be tolerated,” one rights defender said.
Unanswered Questions
The key concerns remain:
Who is holding Snigdha and Purnima?
Under what conditions was the video recorded?
Why has law enforcement failed to secure their release or even confirm their safety?
Despite the family’s repeated pleas, authorities have not traced the sisters’ whereabouts. This silence has fueled fears that they are trapped under the control of an organized group intent on erasing their identity.
The case has ignited anger across Bangladesh’s Hindu community and sparked calls for urgent government action. Minority rights groups have also demanded international intervention, warning that without accountability, forced conversions and abductions will only escalate.
For Shailendra Nath Barman and his devastated family, the demand is simple: “Bring our daughters back safely. Stop this injustice.”
