An incident of attack on two temples of Sanatan Dharma followers and vandalism at several local shops occurred in the Patharghata area under Kotwali police station in Chattogram. After the incident, the police and army were deployed to control the situation.
The incident took place around 2:30 PM on Friday in the Jelle Para area of Kali bari Temple Road, on Brickfield Road.
According to eyewitnesses, after the Friday prayers, around 50 to 80 young men armed with sticks attacked the alley after 2 PM. In fear, most of the shops closed, but several shops had their fronts vandalized. Two temples of Sanatan Dharma followers, Radha-Govinda Temple and Shantaneswari Temple, were also damaged during the attack.
On-site inspection revealed that several grocery and variety stores were vandalized, and the glass in front of the temples was shattered. Additionally, several buildings had their windows broken due to stones and bricks being thrown. However, no reports of injuries or fatalities were received.
Ashish Bhattacharya, a local resident at the scene, said, “After around 2 PM on Friday, a group of youths came with sticks and shouted slogans like ‘Destroy ISKCON’s base, burn it down.’ They made offensive comments and vandalized everything in sight, breaking vegetable carts and shop doors. People watching from second-floor buildings were targeted with bricks for filming the incident. We are living in fear now. The army has assured us of safety, but as night approaches, our anxiety is increasing.”
When asked about the incident, the officer-in-charge (OC) of CMP Kotwali police station, Md. Abdul Karim, confirmed to Suprabhat that, upon hearing of the incident around 2 PM, they arrived at the scene, causing the protesters to disperse. “Only the front part of a small temple and three shops were vandalized. Due to the narrow alley, the attackers were unable to cause further damage. No injuries have been reported. While the main Kali Temple was not attacked, the front of a smaller temple was damaged, and the doors of several shops were broken.”
Police are currently stationed at the site to maintain control. As of the evening, no formal complaints or cases had been filed by the Sanatanis. The OC assured that if any complaints or cases are filed, the police would take action. Police patrolling has also been increased in the area.