Vandals have desecrated murtis of Hindu deiteis that were being sculpted for the upcoming Durga Puja in Kushtia town of Bangladesh, reports Dhaka Tribune.

“We informed the police immediately after we found the murtis broken Wednesday morning,” said Advocate Anup Kumar Nandi, president of the district puja celebration committee.

According to sources, the incident took place at a temporary mandap in Aruapara area under the banner of Aika Jubasangha, which is built every year ahead of Durga Puja. The artisans had left the murtis to dry after coating them with clay on the night of Septmber 20.

Police have visited the site and are ‘investigating the matter’, said Sabbirul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kushtia Model police station.

Vandalism of temples and desecration of murtis is a common occurrence in Islamic Bangladesh. Every year, these attacks peak just before Durga Puja, the biggest festival for Bengali Hindus across the word.