As Hindu houses and temples are being targeted in a violence-hit Bangladesh, Meherpur ISKCON Temple’s spokesperson Sumohan Mukunda Das shared the horrific details of the situation prevailing there. Notably, the Meherpur ISKCON Temple was vandalised and idols were smashed by the Islamist mob on 5th August.
Speaking to AajTak, Das said that the current situation for Bangladeshi Hindus is akin to how it was in the 1970s. He said that Hindu politicians, traders and Mandirs are being targeted by the Islamist mobs.
“They targeted our ISKCON Temple and vandalised it. A bomb was also hurled inside the temple. For the whole night, we had to hide in the jungle as when we sought refuge in someone’s house they said that if we allowed you in, they [the Islamists] would burn our house also. I am still hiding but to tell the truth to the world, I spoke to you. Hindus are always targeted. From 1971 to 2024, Hindus have always been tortured,” Das said.
Hindu Temples were attacked in Bangladesh.
— Ankur Singh (@iAnkurSingh) August 6, 2024
Listen to Hindus of ISKCON Temple.
LKFC @zoo_bear called it RW propaganda. Showed few pics of Muslim safeguarding temples for propaganda.
This is the reality. pic.twitter.com/VelTR4gkXn
Similarly, another ISKCON Bangladesh spokesperson Yudhisthir Govinda Das said, “As per the info I have received, one of our ISKCON centres (rented) in Meherpur was burnt including with the deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladev, and Subhadra Devi. Three devotees who lived in the centre somehow managed to escape & survived.”
Meanwhile, 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. He stated that appeals for assistance from the police and Rapid Action Battalion in Chittagong had gone unmet, with security forces reportedly escaping the area in civilian dresses.
“Three temples in Chittagong are under threat, but the Hindu community, along with some members of the Muslim community, have protected them so far. Many Hindus and other minorities are feeling unsafe and are fleeing to India through West Bengal and Tripura,” Chinmoy Das said.
As reported earlier in the day, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council released a list of attacks that took place on Hindu temples, houses and establishments on Monday that belonged to the Hindu community in the country.
The attacks happened amidst the political turmoil taking place in Bangladesh. These attacks were reported to have happened within five hours. Notably, the actual number of attacks could be much higher than reported in the list below. The document has listed 54 attacks.
