Mongla Police in Bangladesh detained three madarsa students for allegedly vandalising idols of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in Kainmari Temple. The incident took place on the night of August 6 (Saturday). As per reports, the attack on the temple took place after the temple administration asked a few Muslim boys from madarsa not to play football on the field adjoining the temple.
Two Hindu temples were attacked in Bangladesh’s Mongla Upazila. Police arrested three Muslims. All those arrested are madrasa students. @StateIRF#BangladeshiHindusUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/dc4NkoQzJg
— Voice Of Bangladeshi Hindus 🇧🇩 (@VoiceOfHindu71) August 7, 2022
According to a report on Ekushey TV, the residents said on Saturday evening, there was an altercation between the people from the temple and those who came to play football in Kainmari Temple, which is located in the Kainmari area of district Chandpai. The Temple committee had prohibited the boys from playing on the temple ground. Following the altercation, the boys left but only after threatening the temple authorities with consequences that were retaliated as well.
Later on Saturday night, unknown miscreants came and vandalised idols of Maa Kali and Bhagwan Ganesh in the temple. The Police have initiated a probe into the matter. Upazila Puja Utsav Parishad’s President Piyush Majumdar said, “I heard about the altercation between the temple authorities and the boys who came to play football. It is unclear if the vandalisation happened as a result of the altercation or because of some other reason. This is the first incident of such kind in the area.”
Mongla Police Station, in-charge of Mohammad Monirul Islam, said that they visited the site on Sunday morning. Three people involved in the altercation were detained for questioning. Further probe is underway.
Temple attacks in Bangladesh
There have been many incidents of attacks on temples in Bangladesh. In recent times, such attacks have made headlines more frequently than before. On July 16, it was reported that a Muslim mob attacked a temple, a grocery store and several houses of Hindus over a Facebook post in the Sahapara area of Lohagara, Narail.
In March 2022, the ISKCON Temple on Lalmohan Saha Street in Wari in the Dhaka Division of Bangladesh was attacked. The dastardly attack was orchestrated by one 62-year-old Haji Shafiullah. Under his direction, an Islamist mob of 150-200 people laid siege on the ISKCON temple. They desecrated the murtis (idol), vandalised the temple premises, and looted money and other valuable items.
