An ISKCON temple in Meherpur, located in Bangladesh’s Khulna division, has been vandalised and set on fire amidst ongoing unrest following the resignation and departure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The attack on the ISKCON temple is part of a broader wave of violence targeting multiple Hindu temples across Bangladesh within the past 24 hours.
ISKCON spokesperson Yudhistir Govinda Das confirmed the incident, stating, “As per the information I have received, one of our ISKCON centres (rented) in Meherpur was burnt, including the deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladev, and Subhadra Devi. Three devotees who lived in the centre somehow managed to escape and survived.”
The situation for religious minorities in Bangladesh has become increasingly precarious in the wake of Hasina’s ousting, with Hindu temples facing attacks amid the ongoing unrest. Chinmoy Krishnan Das, President of ISKCON Pundarik Dham in Chittagong, has voiced deep concerns over the safety of Hindu temples in light of these attacks.
“Three temples in Chittagong are under threat, but the Hindu community, along with some members of the Muslim community, have protected them so far,” Das told India Today.
Are temples under attack in Bangladesh?
Kajol Debnath, leader of the Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, told PTI that at least four Hindu temples were targeted on Monday and sustained minor damage. In addition to the temple attacks, an Indian cultural centre in Dhaka was vandalised by an unruly mob. The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, which promotes cultural exchange between India and Bangladesh, was damaged in the violence.
Protesters in the capital also set fire to several key locations, including Bangabandhu Bhaban, the personal residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father and former President of Bangladesh, who is also Sheikh Hasina’s father.
Anti-government protests, initially sparked by demands to abolish a quota system for civil service jobs, escalated into calls for Sheikh Hasina to step down. Violent clashes between demonstrators and supporters of her Awami League party resulted in hundreds of deaths.
Under pressure from the massive protests, Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country on Monday. Bangladesh’s army chief, General Waqar-Uz-Zaman, announced that an interim government would be formed and called on protesters to cease the violence.