Bangladesh: Goons attack Hindu temples during Durga Puja celebrations, three killed; paramilitary deployed

Hindu temples in Bangladesh have been vandalised by some unidentified miscreants during Durga Puja celebrations, prompting the government to deploy paramilitary force in 22 districts after three people were killed and many others injured in riots, media reports said on Thursday. The bdnews24.com news website reported that after allegations of blasphemy, a local temple in Cumilla, about 100 kilometres from Dhaka, became the centre of a social media storm on Wednesday. As clashes broke out, the administration and the police tried to bring the situation under control, it said. Incidents of vandalism have also been reported from Hindu temples in Chandpur’s Hajiganj, Chattogram’s Banshkhali and Cox’s Bazar’s Pekua, the report said. The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported that at one stage, the situation went out of control and riots started spreading to a number of Durga Puja venues. The local administration and the police came under attack as they tried to maintain law and order, it said. Hindu Voice, a Bengali news portal, took to Twitter to share a video of the incident, captioning it, “Muslim mob have demolished 9 Durga mandapas and idols in Comilla, #Bangladesh. Hundreds of radical Muslims attacked this morning. The attack is still going on. Situation is still tense. Hindus are frightened. Police failed to control mob.”

When a sked about the reported attacks on Durga puja pandals and temples in Bangladesh, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “We have seen some disturbing reports of untoward incidents involving attacks on religious gatherings in Bangladesh. We note that the government of Bangladesh has reacted promptly to ensure control of the situation, including the deployment of law enforcement machinery.” “We also understand that the ongoing festive celebrations of Durga puja continue in Bangladesh with the support of government agencies and of course, a large majority of the public,” he said at a media briefing here. The Indian High Commission in Dhaka as well as consulates in Bangladesh are in close contact with the authorities in Dhaka and at local levels over the matter, Bagchi said. Harsh Gupta Madhusudhan also tweeted on the incident.

Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, tweeted that he was disheartened by the vandalism of temples in Bangladesh. “Vandalising temples and Durga Puja pandals in Cumilla district, Cox’s Bazar & Noakhali in Bangladesh; following “conspiratorial rumours” spread through social media is disheartening. Desecrating idols of Maa Durga at will is an orchestrated attack on Sanatani Bengali community,” he tweeted on Thursday.

The Daily Star newspaper reported that at least three people were killed and many others injured on Wednesday as a mob and the police clashed in Chandpur’s Hajiganj upazila following the incident in Cumilla. Later, the elite anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit of the Bangladesh Police Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and paramilitary force Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed to bring the situation under control, the report said. The religious affairs ministry issued an emergency notice, urging members of the public not to take the law into their hands as it reiterated calls to maintain communal harmony and peace, it said. The government deployed the BGB in 22 districts after multiple attacks on Hindu temples during Durga Puja celebrations, the report said. “BGB personnel have been deployed to ensure security during Durga Puja at the request of deputy commissioners and under instructions from the home ministry,” BGB director of operations Lieutenant colonel Faizur Rahman said. “So far we have deployed BGB personnel to 22 districts, including Cumilla and Narsingdi, as necessary,” the officer said, adding that troops could also be deployed to the capital if the local administration makes a request. A Bangladeshi home ministry spokesperson said Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) troops have been deployed in 22 districts across the country to stop the spread of violence. According to the media reports, three people were killed during clashes between Muslim bigots and police at Hajiganj sub-district in Chandpur, bordering Cumilla, on Wednesday, while the fourth victim succumbed to his wounds later.   With inputs from PTI