Bangladesh Police Register Complaints Regarding Alleged Desecration Of 3 Temples

Bangladesh police registered complaints on January 2 regarding the alleged desecration of three temples, which had angered the minority Hindu community resulting in protests demanding the arrest of those involved. The incident occurred in Lalmonirhat district, bordering India and Bangladesh on Friday night.

Four complaints were lodged by the police on Friday after the protests began over raw animal meat being hung in polythene bags, on the doors of three temples, and in one house in a village in Lalmonirhat. The Muslim residents of the vicinity have denied their involvement in the act and have claimed that this is done to break the interfaith harmony in the area.

On Saturday, members of the Hindu community staged a protest at the Sri Sri Radha Govinda temple demanding the police to take action. Dilip Kumar Singh, president of Hatibandha Upazila Puja Udjapan Parishad, said that raw beef in polythene bags were hung over the doors of Gendukuri Camp Para Sri Sri Radha Govinda Mandir, Gendukuri Kuthipara Kali Mandir, Gendukuri Battala Kali Mandir and Monindranath Barman's house.

"Police have assured us that the culprits will be arrested," he said, adding that the incident could be linked to the local Union Parishad polls held on December 26, 2021, as reported by India Today.

Union Parishad Elections

The Union Parishad polls in Bangladesh were a massive violent event, where violence broke out in seven districts resulting in at least seven deaths and 60 injured people.

Hatibandha Police Station Officer-in-Charge Ershadul Alam who is investigating the case has promised to trace down all those involved.

In October 2021, Hindu temples were attacked in Bangladesh after an alleged blasphemous post went live on social media platforms during the Durga Puja celebrations. Following the incident, a mob also set at least 20 houses of Hindus on fire and damaged dozens of houses.

Hindus comprise less than nine per cent of the total population in Bangladesh. According to the averages provided by a Deutsche Welle report citing Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), the Bangladeshi human rights organisation that documents all the attacks on minority communities, there have been over 3,600 attacks in Bangladesh targeting Hindus since 2013.

The study found the attacks against Hindus over the years include cases of vandalism and arson targeting over 550 houses and 440 shops and businesses as reported by the Hindustan Times. However many organizations believe the numbers, in reality, are much higher than those documented and most of the cases of violence against the Hindus go unattended and unquestioned.

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