Houses, shops and temples…all destroyed, Hindus in pain amid changing conditions in Bangladesh

Bangladesh Hindu Target Violence: Millions of minorities are living in fear amid widespread violence and outrage in Bangladesh. After Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and left the country on Monday, 5 August, there was widespread looting in Dhaka, minority homes were targeted and a temple was set on fire.

A report in Bangladeshi newspaper Daily Star said that on Monday, August 5, mobs attacked homes and shops or business places belonging to Hindus in at least 27 districts and looted their valuables.

Temples set on fire

An ISKCON temple and a Kali temple were vandalised and set on fire in Meherpur, located in Bangladesh’s Khulna division. ISKCON spokesperson Yudhishthira Govinda Das tweeted, “One of our ISKCON centres (rented) in Meherpur was burnt down, including the deities of Lord Jagannath, Baldev and Subhadra Devi. Three devotees living in the centre somehow managed to escape.”

Bangladesh Update

As per the info I have received, one of our ISKCON center (rented) in Meherpur (Khulna division) was burnt including with the deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra Devi.

3 devotees who lived in the center some how managed to escape & survived.

— Yudhistir Govinda Das (@yudhistirGD) August 5, 2024

Hindus are becoming victims of target killing

Hindus make up about 8 percent of Bangladesh’s population, or about 13 million people. In 1951, Hindus made up 22 percent of Bangladesh’s population. According to a report by the Hindu American Foundation, more than 11 million Hindus fled Bangladesh between 1964 and 2013 due to religious persecution. Photos and videos of many Bangladeshi Hindus being targeted in the recent tensions can be seen on social media.

In a video shared by a Hindu activist in Bangladesh, a girl trapped in Pirojpur district is seen pleading for help. In another video, a temple in Navagraha Bari in Chittagong can be seen being burned by a violent mob.

‘Where will we go?’

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council listed 54 attacks on temples, homes and establishments of the Hindu community in a post on X. These include the Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, which promotes cultural exchange between India and Bangladesh.

Speaking to the Daily Star, Monindra Kumar Nath, senior joint general secretary of Hindu organisation Oikya Parishad, said Hindus were afraid of attacks. “They (Hindus) are crying, saying they are being beaten up, and their homes and businesses are being looted. What is our fault? Is it our fault that we are citizens of the country?” Monindra said.

He said, “Where will we go if such attacks continue here? How can we console the members of the Hindu community?”

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