Muslims organisations from Bangladesh are actively working to change the religious demographics in Nepal, which is the only Hindu-majority country other than India in the entire South Asia.
Nepal is home to 2.36 crores Hindus, which make up roughly 81% of the landlocked nation (as per 2021 census data). Muslims, on the other hand, constitute about 5% of the country’s population.
However, a concerted attempt is now underway to artificially change the religious demographics and culture in the country. And this is being done shrewdly in the garb of ‘humanitarian activities.’
A Bangladeshi organisation named ‘Alhaj Shamsul Hoque Foundation (ASH Foundation)’ is working on this goal with a mission-mode.
Founded by one Muhammed Nasir Uddin, ASH Foundation is operational in Bangladesh, the United States, the United Kingdom and even Egypt. The so-called NGO is headquartered in Chittagong.
“ASHF has the vision of achieving a hunger free, poverty free, healthy community to ensure the peace and prosperity for all regardless to any race, religion, caste and gender,” it claims to be its objective.
However, the activities of ‘Alhaj Shamsul Hoque Foundation (ASH Foundation)’ are clearly aligned towards Tabligh (propagation of Islam) and Daʿwah (Islamic proselytism).
Contrary to the organisation’s mission statement, its founder, Muhammed Nasir Uddin, used funds to lay the foundation stone of ‘Masjid-e-Razaaq’ in Sunsari district of Nepal.
“There are only 5% Muslims in Nepal. There is an opportunity of Daʿwah (Islamic proselytism),” he declared in a viral video posted on Facebook on Friday (25th July).
In a Facebook post on 18th July, the ASH Foundation conceded that the mosque will serve as a centre to spread the message of Islam to at least 15% of the population.
It also put out bank account details, seeking donations from Bangladeshis to contribute and support their mission to build more mosques in the Hindu-majority country and convert the native population.
“One of the biggest Hindu Rashtras in the world is Nepal. It is thus extremely important to carry out Daʿwah. One of the biggest tenets of our religion is to invite people on the path of Allah, ” ASH founder Muhammed Nasir Uddin spelt out his nefarious agenda during a conversation with local Muslims.
One of the fascinating aspects about the ASH Foundation is its modus operandi.
- Praise the Hindu community for ensuring religious coexistence
- Seek funds from Bangladeshi Muslims to help facilitate the spread of Islam
- Use the same financial assistance to convert vulnerable Hindus, induce an alien Islamic culture and foster a demographic change in Nepal.
Attempts to alert law enforcement authorities and government officials by Hindu organisations have so far ended in vain.
Growing Islamism in Hindu-majority Nepal
Gplus has reported multiple instances of the growing animosity of the Muslim community towards the native Hindus in Nepal.
In April 2025, a violent Muslim mobs attacked a Hanuman Jayanti procession in Birgunj city in Parsa district of Nepal.
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In July 2024, Muslims stopped road construction work, resorted to stone pelting and attacked homes of Dalit Hindus in Nepal’s Sarlahi district.
A month earlier, the Hindu-majority country was in the news after Muslims renamed a village to ‘Islam Nagar’ and ‘Brahma Sthan’ to ‘Madrasa Chowk’ in Rautahat district.
Gplus also reported on a land jihad case, where Muslims attempted to occupy government land by offering Namaz at the site and illegally constructing a wall. The incident occured in Janakpur city of Nepal.
As early as September 2022, we had warned about the mushrooming of mosques and madrassas in former Hindu areas of the country.
With the growing presence of Bangladeshi Muslim outfits such as ASH Foundation in Nepal, the work of proselytism and aggression towards the Hindu community is likely to increase.
