An ISKCON temple in Meherpur, in Bangladesh’s Khulna division, was vandalised and set on fire as turmoil spreads across the country following former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and departure.
Hindu temples become soft targets
The attack on the ISKCON temple is part of a larger wave of violence that has hit several Hindu temples in Bangladesh during the last 24 hours.
ISKCON spokesperson Yudhistir Govinda Das confirmed the occurrence, claiming, “According to the information I have got, one of our ISKCON centers (rented) in Meherpur was burned, along with the deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladev, and Subhadra Devi. Three devotees who lived in the center managed to flee and survive (sic).”
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Minority communities under threat
What began as a protest against a quota system for government jobs in Bangladesh has escalated into widespread looting and rioting around the country, with the minority community, primarily Hindus, being targeted. With Sheikh Hasina fleeing to India and an interim administration still to be created, videos of temples being set on fire and Hindu homes and businesses being targeted have filled social media.
At the same time, visuals have emerged showing Bangladesh’s Muslim clergy guarding a Hindu temple in Cumilla.
The situation for religious minorities in Bangladesh has deteriorated since Hasina’s ouster, with Hindu temples targeted amid the current violence.
Chinmoy Krishnan Das, President of ISKCON Pundarik Dham in Chittagong, has expressed serious worries about the safety of Hindu temples in the aftermath of these attacks.
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Kajol Debnath, leader of the Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, told PTI that at least four Hindu temples were targeted on Monday and suffered minor damage.
In addition to the temple attacks, an angry mob vandalised an Indian cultural facility in Dhaka. The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, which promotes cultural interchange between India and Bangladesh, was damaged during the unrest.
Protesters in the capital also set fire to several key locations, including Bangabandhu Bhaban, the personal residence of the founding father and former Bangladesh President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is also Sheikh Hasina’s father.
