Islamists in Bangladesh are having a free hand at destroying one Hindu temple after another and tormenting the Hindu minorities even as the world is focused on the Taliban tension on Afghanistan, advocating for the Afghan refugees, who at one point wanted the rule of Sharia in their land and are now running away from its dreadful clutches.
On Tuesday, August 24th, a mob of unidentified radicals attacked two Hindu temples in South Dhopadanga village situated in Dhopadanga union in Sundarganj Upazila of Bangladesh’s Gaigandha district. They reportedly vandalized both the temples, including the prominent Patari Kali Temple, and set fire to 7 Murtis of Hindu deities kept in these temples. Allegedly, all valuables kept inside the temple have also been stolen by the miscreants.
This vandalism and loot are just one in the series of temple robberies that have transpired through August starting with the plundering of 10 temples Shiali Village, in Rupsa Upazila of Khulna district, on August 7th.
Shortly after the incident of Shiali, Rupsa, twin murtis of Sri Sri Harichad Thakur and Shanti Mata Devi, who were the most revered figures of the Matua community, became the next targets of Islamist bigotry, as alleged by Hindu activists in Bangladesh. Their murtis seated at Sholpur, in Narail Sadar Upazila of Bangladesh’s Narail district were crushed to pieces by extremists in the area on August 18th.
Another group of unidentified miscreants wreaked havoc on a 200-year-old Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu Devis, Kali, Shitala, Manasa & Thakurji Buri in Nesarabad Upazila in Pirojpur on Friday, August 27th. Bijipobhushon Mistri, a resident of the area, has filed a complaint with the Nesharabad police station and members of law enforcement agencies have visited the site and investigations are going on to identify the miscreants responsible for taking down this site of religious and historical significance, informed Abir Mohammad Hossain, the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Nesarabad police station. The murtis of the goddess Shitala, Kali, Manasa, and Thakurji were also destroyed by the radicals.
Shockingly, most of the above incidents have not been reported by the conventional media of the country. The attacks on the religious minority are becoming frequent in Bharat’s Islamic neighbor and It is evident that barring a few Hindu activists in Bangladesh, no other entity is working for the welfare or interest of the minority Hindus in Bangladesh.
The harrowing under-representation of the marginalized minority and the absolute absence of an empowered and strong Hindu body to voice out Hindu concerns has emboldened the fundamentalists and extremists. They practice their hate and bigotry with violence and vehemence and absolute impunity.
Not that the religious radicals aren’t seasoned miscreants; bigotry has been wired into their minds from the early years. 18-year-old Moslehuddin aka Shakil was caught red-handed while vandalizing murtis of a Shiva temple located in Noakhali’s Maijdee town. He had broken into the Hindu temple on the night of 16 August night after 11 PM. The locals bear eye witness to his actions and have lodged a complaint with the local police station and have demanded severe punishments for him.
The attacks on Hindu temples were not a phenomenon limited to only one odd month of the calendar. This is a perennial cycle that goes out throughout the year. On Wednesday, September 1st, the Sri Sri Magesdhwari Temple in Raozan Upazila was plundered by local radicals. The wall of the temple was demolished by the miscreants and the Amirah of the temple was torn down as well. The plunderers have reportedly robbed a lump sum of 50,000 Bangladeshi Taka, some significant documents of the temple are also missing since the robbery, alleges a Bangladeshi Hindu activist.
(Featured Image Source: Twitter)
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