“HRCBM documents, investigates, and publishes evidence-based legal dossiers concerning human rights violations against minorities in Bangladesh. Each dossier is based on verifiable evidence, legal analysis, and advocacy for justice. Our aim is to create accountability and protect vulnerable communities.”
Note: For the protection of the minor’s identity, the name “Bristi Chakrabarty” is used as a pseudonym.
Additionally, any identifiable personal information has been redacted or altered in the legal dossier to comply with child protection standards and safeguard the minor’s privacy.
Introduction
The Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) presents this urgent legal dossier regarding the case of Bristi Chakrabarty (pseudonym), a minor Hindu girl who became the victim of kidnapping, forced religious conversion, and an alarming misuse of judicial proceedings.
While Bristi’s personal suffering is heartbreaking, this case exposes a far greater danger:
A new and dangerous precedent that threatens every minority child in Bangladesh, where abductors can seek legal custody of kidnapped minors under the pretext of religious conversion.
If left unchallenged, this could institutionalize abduction and forced conversion as an accepted pathway to erase the identity of minority children.
Case Background
On March 23, 2025, Ms. Bristi Chakrabarty (pseudonym), a minor Hindu girl, was allegedly kidnapped by members of the majority community in Mymensingh District.
Despite the urgency of the situation, the local police initially refused to accept a General Diary (GD) entry from her family.
Only after direct intervention by HRCBM did the police accept the GD on March 26, 2025 — already three days after the abduction.
This delay significantly undermined the chances of swift recovery and immediate legal action.
Subsequently, a fabricated affidavit was produced, falsely claiming Bristi’s voluntary religious conversion — a document later canceled by the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) of Mymensingh after HRCBM’s legal challenge.
In a further escalation, the kidnapper’s family filed a custody petition in a local family court, which issued a notice to Bristi’s parents, asking them to justify within 10 days why the girl should not be placed in the custody of the abductors.
This blatant weaponization of legal mechanisms to retroactively validate kidnapping and forced conversion signals a dangerous turning point for the future of minority rights in Bangladesh.
Legal and Human Rights Violations
The acts committed against Brist Chakrabarty and her family violate multiple domestic and international legal frameworks, including:
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) —
Article 8 (Preservation of identity)
Article 9 (Separation from biological parents)
Article 14 (Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion)
Article 35 (Prevention of abduction, sale, and trafficking)
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) —
Article 9 (Protection from arbitrary detention)
Article 18 (Freedom of religion and belief)
Constitution of Bangladesh —
Article 27 (Equality before law)
Article 31 (Right to protection of law)
Article 41 (Freedom of religion)
UN Guidelines on Alternative Care for Children — emphasizing the best interests of the child and protection from abduction and illegal adoption.
A Dangerous Precedent
While Bristi’s experience is deeply tragic, the implications of her case extend far beyond her individual ordeal.
If allowed to proceed:
Kidnappers could claim legal custody of their victims, citing forged affidavits of religious conversion.
Minority parents could lose their children permanently, not through legitimate legal processes, but through abduction, coercion, and judicial manipulation.
Forced religious assimilation would gain a terrifying new legal pathway, cloaked in the language of “custody petitions” and “child welfare.”
Such a precedent would put every minority girl — and indeed, every minority family — at perpetual risk of losing their children and cultural identity under cover of law.
📂 Access the Full Legal Dossier
HRCBM’s Urgent Appeal
HRCBM calls upon:
The Judiciary of Bangladesh to immediately dismiss the fraudulent custody claim and ensure Bristi’s safe return to her biological family.
The Government of Bangladesh to criminalize attempts to gain custody over minors through abduction and forced conversion.
International human rights bodies, including the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief and the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, to initiate urgent inquiries into these practices.
Global civil society and human rights organizations to raise awareness about the systemic targeting of minority girls through legalized abduction.
Conclusion
The case of Bristi Chakrabarty illustrates a growing existential threat to Bangladesh’s minority communities:
➡️ The legal system itself being exploited to legitimize kidnapping, forced conversion, and cultural erasure.
Without immediate corrective action, this dangerous precedent could escalate into a devastating new norm — placing thousands of minority children at risk of permanent displacement, loss of identity, and religious persecution.
HRCBM reaffirms its commitment to defending the rights of minority children and their families and will continue to pursue legal, diplomatic, and advocacy measures until justice is secured.