Yet again religious fanatics have attacked temples, houses and shops of Hindus in four districts.
Since Jamaat leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee was handed down a death sentence in a war crimes case on February 28, more than 26 temples, 175 houses and dozens of shops of the minorities across the country have been vandalised, torched and looted. Basudev Dhar, president of Greater Dhaka Puja Committee, yesterday said these communal attacks were demoralising many Hindu families.
“The worst pain for the victims comes when they are left alone after such attacks,” he said. “The leaders and members of parliament have not stood by the Hindus the way they should have.”
“In the past,” he added, “we have resisted such attacks together.”
In Khulna, over 150 people equipped with iron rods and other lethal weapons attacked Banikpara Pabla Sarbojonin Kalibari Mandir around 9:00pm Monday.
When the rioters stormed the temple, some devotees already had gathered there for prayers. The assault left a person named Khokon injured.
The rioters also attacked Gachtala temple. Over 50 Hindu homes and shops adjacent to the two temples were vandalised and torched.
According to locals, law enforcers did not come on time to prevent the attacks.
Khulna Puja Udjapon Parishad held a protest rally in front of Banikpara Pabla Temple yesterday afternoon.
Meanwhile, police have arrested two people, Humayun Kabir, 26, and Arman, 18, in this connection, said ASI Anwar Hossain of Daulatpur Police Station. The identities of the arrestees could not be known immediately.
In Netrakona, rioters vandalised Hari Mandir in Bobahala village under sadar upazila, damaging seven idols.
Temple priest Mithun Chand, said, “I returned home around 11:00pm [Monday] keeping the Mandir under lock and key.
“The next morning, I found the temple vandalised.”
Also on Monday night, vandals damaged four idols of Hindu goddesses at Kripamoyee Kali Mandir under Sripur upazila in Gazipur.
Amir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Sripur Police Station, said, “The temple, situated on the premises of the house of schoolteacher Shupendru Chandra Das, was vandalised sometime at night. The attackers took away the heads of the deities.”
In Rangpur, the house of Nilkanta Roy in Itakumary union of Pirgachha upazila was torched around 2:00am yesterday. Nilkanta said the estimated loss could be around Tk 2 lakh.
Jashidul Haque, Chairman of Itakumary Union Parishad, said, “Miscreants set fire to the house with a view to destroying communal harmony in the area.”
