In two days, offenders defaced eight idols across three Hindu temples located in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh and Dinajpur districts, as reported by news agency PTI, referencing local media on Friday.
According to The Daily Star, one individual was apprehended by police in relation to the events in Mymensingh. The assaults are part of a string of events aimed at the minority Hindu community within the nation.
In the Haluaghat sub-district of Mymensingh, idols at two different temples were damaged in separate events on Thursday and Friday. Abul Khayer, the officer responsible for Haluaghat Police Station, reported that two idols at the Bonderpara Temple in Shakuai union were vandalized early Friday. Khayer stated, “No charges have been brought, and no one has been arrested in this incident up to this point.”
In a separate incident, an idol at the Polashkanda Kali Temple in Beeldora union was damaged early Thursday morning. Authorities subsequently apprehended Alal Uddin, a 27-year-old from Polashkanda village, for his supposed participation. “While being questioned, the suspect admitted to the offense,” Khayer stated the individual in question appeared in a Mymensingh court on Friday and was remanded to prison.
In the Birganj sub-district of Dinajpur, five idols were damaged at the Jharbari Shashan Kali Temple on Tuesday. The event was revealed on Thursday. “We’ve never witnessed such an event here,” stated Janardan Roy, president of the temple committee. Officer-in-Charge Abdul Gafur indicated that an investigation is in progress.
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The recent events occur amid an increase in assaults on Hindu temples and properties in Bangladesh after the removal of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August. Last week, officials apprehended four people for defacing a Hindu temple and assaulting Hindu residences and businesses in the Sunamganj district.
Conflicts between India and Bangladesh have intensified due to assaults on the Hindu minority. India’s Foreign Secretary, Vikram Misri, expressed worries regarding the safety and wellbeing of minorities during discussions with Bangladeshi officials in Dhaka.
Bangladesh has reported 88 cases of communal violence targeting minorities, primarily Hindus, since Hasina was ousted from power. These events have added to the tension in diplomatic relations between the two nations.
(Inputs from PTI)
