Minority communities feel insecurity following the incidents of attacks and vandalism of murtis ahead of Durga Puja in several parts of Bangladesh.

Some murtis of Maa Durga, Bhagwan Ganesh and others were vandalised by some unidentified miscreants at a temple at Tambulkhana Bazar of Kaijuri Union in Sadar Upazilla of Faridpur district at dead of night on September 18.

A team of local police administration  visited the spot and assured to investigate into the matter and arrest the culprits involved in the incident. 

In the meantime, local leaders of Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council visited the spot and demanded immediate arrest of the culprits involved in this case. The central committee of the organisation condemned this incident ahead of Durga Puja festival, the largest festival of the Hindu community in the country.

In yet another attack, a group of miscreants attacked a temple in Rameshwar village, Chhatiyain Union under Madhapur Upazilla of Hobiganj district around 10 pm on September-19.  

During this attack, the miscreants  vandalized some chairs and beat some  devotees in the temple.

This incident has created a panic and anger among Hindus of the locality and many drew the attention of the local administration to the issue. On receiving the information, a team of local police visited the spot.

The SC (‘Dalit’) Hindus of Srimangal were attacked by angry mob following a trivial dispute in Arambag residential area, Sreemangal town of Moulvibazar district on September-15. The miscreants  vandalized houses and temples of poor hindus and looted their valuables. 

It is learnt that a young man named Shafique Miah became involved in quarrelling with Joy Robidas a few days ago. At this time, Shafiq threatened Joy that he would take revenge. 

According to the complaint, on the night of September 15, a group of  youths equipped with lethal weapon attacked the Harijan palli of Hindus, entered houses and started beating the people including girls and women and vandalized temples. The attackers  also looted valuables from the houses. 

Local police arrested Rafiq while others remained absconding.

Such attacks on Hindus occur frequently in Bangladesh. Earlier this year, four temples were attacked and vandalized at village Gurakamandal Raipara of Naodanga union of Fulbari upazila in Kurigram district during the early hours of May 2. At least 8 murtis were vandalized by unknown miscreants. 

The incident took place about 400 yards inside Bangladesh from sub pillar 1S of international main pillar 929 at Raipara-Gurakhamandal border. Police, BGB, local administration and leaders of Upazila Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Parishad visited the spot .

According to the police and temple maintainers, the miscreants attacked the Haridev temple in the courtyard of Bhavesh Chandra Burman’s house, the Manosa temple in the courtyard of Binay Chandra Burman’s house, the Mahadev temple in the courtyard of Dhiren Chandra Burman’s house and the Radhakrishna temple in the courtyard of Biren Chandra Burman’s house.  At this time miscreants vandalized eight murtis of four temples.

Renowned lawyer Rana Dasgupta, general secretary of the Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, said that such anti-minority violence is increasing in the country ahead of the national elections.  

Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said during the recent Janmashtami ceremony that communal violence may occur in the country during the upcoming Durga Puja or even after that.  Even BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir spoke in almost the same tone.  It is clear that political parties today are speaking in the same tone that we expressed in the past about communal violence, Dasgupta said while addressing the audience as chief guest at the triennial conference of Bangladesh Jubo Oikya Parishad at the National Press Club Auditorium on September 15.  

Rana Dasgupta said that he had spoken to the Home Minister that communal peace and order should not be thought of only through autumn Durga Puja.  Let’s not create communal violence and chaos in the country in view of the upcoming national elections.  That is why all political parties will  have to come to a decision.  

He urged all the political parties not to announce any program based on upcoming Durga Puja.  

At the same time, an unstable environment should not be created in the public life of the country’s minorities. Elections will be held in four months.  We have been saying this since almost six months before this election. From past experience, the time before the election was not good for us, he said.

Noted Economist Dr. Devapriya Bhattacharya in the discussion meeting of the Puja Celebration Parishad at Sri Sri Dhakeswari Temple recently said that the women of the Hindu community in the country are not safe at present.

He further questioned why the country has become so communal after 14 parties, including the party of independence led by Bangabandhu and his fellow leftists, have been in power for the past 15 years?

He demanded passage of the Minority Protection Act in the next Parliament session. If effective measures aren’t taken now, the minority will disappear from this country one day, he asserted.

The country’s leading newspaper Bangladesh Daily mentioned in a report that in the 13 years after 2001, at least 20 thousand cases of minority oppression took place in the country.

On the other hand, The Daily Jugantar and the daily Bangla Tribune respectively covered a report on minorities by a human rights organization named Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) which stated that at least 3679 attacks on Hindus happened in 9 years from 2013 to September 2021.  Among them, about 1551 houses were vandalized and set on fire. During this time, at least 442 business establishments of Hindus were attacked, vandalized and set on fire.  

About 1678 incidents of vandalism and arson occurred against murtis, puja mandap (places of worship) and temples.

Leaders of both the Awami League and the opposition BNP have blamed each other for attacks on temples and business establishments of minorities in the past, it’s observed.

In fact, there was no true trial of any incident.  As a result, the minority community is living in insecurity and they fear that various types of violence may occur ahead of Durga Puja and national elections.