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News Desk

The Daily Star

Publication Date : 20-03-2013

Religious fanatics have once again attacked temples, houses and shops of Hindus in four districts around Bangladesh.

Since Jamaat-e-Islami 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 minorities across the country have been vandalised, torched and looted.

Basudev Dhar, president of Greater Dhaka Puja Committee, said these communal attacks had demoralised 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 the Banikpara Pabla Sarbojonin Kalibari Mandir on Monday.

When the rioters stormed the temple, some devotees already had gathered there for prayers. The assault left one person 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 the Banikpara Pabla Temple yesterday afternoon.

Meanwhile, police have arrested two people, Humayun Kabir, 26, and Arman, 18, in this connection. The identities of the arrestees could not be verified, however.

In Netrakona, rioters vandalised Hari Mandir in Bobahala village, damaging seven idols.

Also on Monday night, vandals damaged four idols of Hindu goddesses at the Kripamoyee Kali Mandir in Gazipur.

Amir Hossain, officer-in-charge of Sripur Police Station, said, “The temple was vandalised sometime at night. The attackers took away the heads of the deities.”

And in Rangpur, the house of Nilkanta Roy in Itakumary union was torched around 2 am yesterday. It resulted in an estimated loss of 200,000 taka (US$2,501) for Roy.

US$1=79.9 taka