On Saturday (August 7), miscreants destroyed four temples and vandalised several shops belonging to the Hindu community in Bangladesh. The incident took place in Shiali village in Rupsha Upazila in the Khulna district of Bangladesh.
As per a report in Samakaal, the attack took place around 5:45 pm on Saturday during which miscreants ambushed the village with locally made weapons. During the violence, four temples were desecrated and a house was vandalised. Besides, the goons also destroyed 6 shops. On learning about the incident, a team of senior police officers including the Superintendent of Police (SP) reached the spot. Following the incident, an atmosphere of fear and tension has gripped the residents of the village. To ease out the situation, a police team has been deployed in the village.
According to the local residents and leaders of the Puja Parishad, a group of female devotees took out a procession at around 9 pm on Friday (August 6) from the Purba Para temple to the Shiali crematorium. They had crossed a mosque on their way, during which the Imam (Islamic cleric) objected to the procession. This led to a heated argument between the Hindu devotees and the cleric. It was decided that the matter would be taken up with the police on Saturday.
Hundreds of Islamic extremists attacked Shiali and Gowara villages in Rupsha upazila of Khulna district yesterday.All the temples and 58 Hindu houses in the area have been vandalized .Police haven’t taken any action yet. Even no media in Bangladesh has published this incident. pic.twitter.com/c0a7KF27ZH
— Bangladesh Hindu Unity Council (@UnityCouncilBD) August 8, 2021
Armed miscreants attacked Hindus, desecrated temples, and vandalised homes and shops
However, on that day, several miscreants arrived in the village with spades, sickles and carried out mass destruction. They vandalised the shops of local Hindus including Ganesh Mallick (pharmacy), Sribas Mallick (grocery), Sourabh Mallick (tea and grocery), Anirban Hira (tea shop), and his father Mazumdar. Besides, the residence of one Shibpadh Dhar was also looted by them. The ‘Govinda temple’ in his house was also destroyed. Others temples that were desecrated include ‘Hari temple’ of Shiali Purbapara, Durga temple, and Shiali Mahasamshan temple. Several idols kept in the temple were also destroyed.
When the Hindus tried to intervene, the miscreants assaulted and injured them badly. Before the villagers could unite and put up a fight, the accused men fled the crime scene. According to Shaktipada Basu, the president of Puja Parishad, the cops chased away the Hindus when they went to file a complaint at the Shiali Camp police station. Sadhan Adhikari, the chairman of Ghatbhog Union, also reached the village and informed that such an act of violence and vandalism never took place in the village before.
He had accused the youth of nearby Chandpur village of orchestrating the attack. Adhikari confirmed that a police team comprising of the Superintendent of Police (SP), Additional SP reached the crime scene. He informed that the union members had toured the village that became the epicentre of the attack. Mahboob Hassan, SP (Khulna) informed that police teams had been deployed in the area and the situation in the Shiali village was under control. He said that the cops are coordinating with the local people in this matter. The police have now arrested 10 people in connection to the case.
Hindus attacked in Sheikh Hasina’s constituency on Eid
On July 21, a mob of radical Islamists in Bangladesh attacked the Hindu community without provocation at around 9 am in the morning. The incident took place at Kalabari Union Parakata Bazar in Kotalipara in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh. It must be mentioned that Gopalganj is the election constituency of Awami League supremo and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Bangladesh Hindu Unity Council took to Twitter to inform that the attack took place on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. DD News reported that more than 50 people were injured during the incident, including police officials. The Islamist mob ransacked shops and houses belonging to Hindus and had vowed to ‘sacrifice’ religious minorities on the occasion of Eid. The attack took place in the backdrop of a football match that was conducted in the Parakata village on July 19. During the match at the Janakalyan High school ground, a quarrel broke out between two sides about the outcome of the game.
Two days later on July 21, a heated argument ensued between 18-year-old Sajal Gain and 38-year-old Jamal Mallick. The argument soon assumed a communal turn, leading to a clash between two sides. Reportedly, the accused have been identified as Rustum Mallick, Nannu Mallick, Jasim Mollah, Faizul Mallick, and Babul Mallick (26). They vandalised shops, houses and targeted Hindu men, women, and livestock. They chanted slogans vowing to make the village free of Hindus and demanded human sacrifice on the occasion of Eid.
