Dhaka:
A slogan-shouting mob vandalized three Hindu temples in Chattogram, Bangladesh on Friday. Protests continue in Chattogram after a treason case was registered against a former ISKCON member.
News portal ‘bdnews24.com’ said in its news that the attack took place at around 2:30 pm in Harish Chandra Munsef Lane of the port city and during this, Shantaneshwari Matri Temple, Shani Mandir and Shantaneshwari Kalibari Temple were targeted.
“A group of hundreds of slogan-shouting people threw bricks and stones at the temples, damaging the gates of the Shani temple and two other temples,” the news portal quoted temple officials as saying.
Kotwali police station chief Abdul Karim confirmed the attack and said that the attackers tried to damage the temples. Police said that there was very little damage to the temples.
Tapan Das, a permanent member of the Shantineshwari Main Temple Management Committee, told bdnews24.com, “After the Friday prayers, a procession of hundreds of people came. They started raising anti-Hindu and anti-ISKCON slogans.”
“We did not stop the attackers. When the situation worsened, we called the army, which arrived immediately and helped restore order. The gates of all the temples were closed before noon,” the website quoted him as saying. The miscreants came without any provocation and attacked.”
Spiritual leader Chinmay Krishna Das, a former member of Bangladesh’s International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), was arrested on Monday in sedition cases. He was refused bail on Tuesday. Due to this, members of the Hindu community started protests in many places in Bangladesh including the capital Dhaka and Chattogram.
On October 30, a case of sedition was registered against 19 people, including Das, at the Kotwali police station in Chittagong, accusing them of insulting the national flag of Bangladesh during a rally of the Hindu community in the New Market area of Chattogram. Had gone.
On Tuesday, New Delhi expressed concern over the leader’s arrest and denial of bail and asked Bangladesh to ensure the safety of Hindus and other minorities. The anti-Hindu incidents this week have led to a diplomatic row between the two South Asian neighbours.
India said on Friday that the interim government of Bangladesh should fulfill its responsibility of protecting all minorities. It expressed grave concern over the “rise” in extremist rhetoric and increasing incidents of violence against Hindus, as well as attacks on temples.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Parliament that India has taken seriously the incidents of violence against minorities in Bangladesh and it is Dhaka’s primary responsibility to protect the life and liberty of all citizens, including minorities.
On the other hand, Bangladesh expressed deep concern over the violent protests at the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata on Friday and urged New Delhi to ensure the security of all its diplomatic missions in India.
