After the arrest of Chinmoy Das, a key spokesperson of the Bangladesh United Sanatan Mass Awakening Platform, the persecution of minority Hindus across the country has increased. Attacks are being carried out on Hindu temples with open threats being issued one after another. Currently, minority Hindus feel unsafe, but due to insecurity, they are unable to speak out about their suffering.
Attack on Radhagobind, Shani Temple and Shantanishwari Temples in Chittagong
On Friday afternoon, around 2:30 PM, in the area near the Patharghata Kalibari Temple Area Shree Hares Chandra Munsef Lane’s Shantanweshwari Matrimandir’s main gate was broken, and intruders stormed inside. Following this, the protestors vandalized the glass of the ground-floor Shani Mandir and began throwing stones. and several temples, including Radhagobinda Temple attacked on sane area. A group of vandals also destroyed half a dozen of hindus shops. Police and the Army arrived about an hour later to bring the situation under control.
According to eyewitnesses, after the Friday prayers around 2:00 PM, approximately 50 to 80 young men armed with sticks and clubs attacked the area. Although most shops were closed in panic, several storefronts were vandalized. The Radhagobind and Shani temple and Shantanishwari temples were also damaged.
On-site reports show that several grocery and confectionary shops were destroyed, and the glass windows of the temples were shattered. Additionally, some windows of nearby buildings were also damaged by thrown bricks. No casualties were reported.
Ashish Bhattacharya, a local resident, said that after the Friday prayers, a group of youths came with sticks and shouted slogans such as, “Destroy ISKCON’s base, burn it down.” They also made vulgar comments and destroyed everything in sight, including vegetable carts and shops. Some young men even threw bricks at people watching from a two-story building. The locals are now living in fear, and while the army has promised security, the tension is growing as night falls.
Regarding the incident, the officer-in-charge of the CMP Kotwali Police Station, Mohammad Abdul Karim, confirmed that by 2:00 PM, when they reached the site, the protesters had dispersed. He mentioned that only a small part of the temple and three shops were damaged due to the narrow alley, which limited the scale of the attack. There were no reports of injuries. He assured that if any complaints or cases are filed, they would be registered and investigated. Increased police patrols have been deployed in the area.
Attack on ISKCON Temple in Patiya, Chittagong
Earlier, on Thursday night, vandals attacked and destroyed the ISKCON temple in Basudev Dutta Mukund Dutta Dham in Chattogram’s Patiya Upazila.
Patiya Police Station’s Officer-in-Charge, Mohammad Najmun Noor, said that the temple’s gate lock was broken, and the CCTV cameras were disconnected, making it difficult to identify the culprits. However, an investigation is ongoing.
Attack on ISKCON Temple and Campaign Center in Bhairab, Kishoreganj, Dhaka
An attack and vandalism took place at the ISKCON-run Shree Shree Hare Krishna Namhatta Sangha temple in Bhairab, Kishoreganj, on Friday at around 5 PM. Eyewitnesses reported that a group of people armed with sticks came, caused damage, and quickly left. No one was present at the time.
Local people said the temple is located on the ground floor of a building in the Rani Bazar area, where prayers and kirtans are held every Sunday. On other days of the week, the office of the temple is not frequently open.
Witnesses said the attackers arrived, shouted slogans, and some of them had sticks. They then launched the attack and caused damage.
Chandan Pal, a member of the temple, stated that they do not know who the attackers were and demanded that the authorities bring the responsible individuals to justice.
A video shows 10 to 12 youths entering the temple while chanting “Allahu Akbar” and making derogatory remarks to Hindus, such as “If you can, leave the room,” and other offensive statements. As they were leaving, one of them said, “We will deal with you ISKCON people in the future.”
