Bangladesh Durga Puja violence: Vandalism continues; minorities name for countrywide starvation strike

A Hindu temple has been valdalised in Bangladesh in a recent case of communal unrest amidst days of violence unleashed by unidentified Muslim bigots who attacked the minority group’s locations of worship throughout the Durga Puja celebrations over alleged blasphemy, prompting a minority group to announce a national starvation strike, media stories stated on Sunday.
Hindu-owned temples and outlets in Feni, about 157 kms from the nation’s capital, have been vandalised and robbed throughout recent clashes on Saturday which broke out after an assault on demonstrators who have been protesting towards the assaults on Durga Puja venues in a number of locations in Bangladesh, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.
The clashes left not less than 40 folks, together with the Officer In-charge Nizamuddin of Feni Model Police Station, injured within the clashes, it stated.
On Saturday night time, authorities deployed extra police forces and the paramilitary pressure — Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), after a number of temples and companies owned by Hindus have been vandalised and robbed throughout clashes that lasted from 4:30 PM (native time) to midnight, the report stated.
The report stated that some miscreants on Saturday vandalised six idols on the Daniapara Maha Shoshan Kali Mandir in Rashunia union of Sirajdikhan upazila in Munshiganj, about 40 kms from right here.
It stated that protests towards assaults and vandalism on Hindu temples throughout the Durga Puja celebrations continued throughout the nation on Saturday, as did the vandalism that led to the general public outcry.
A store close to the Iskcon temple in Bangladesh destroyed by goons. (Twitter/@iskcon)
Meanwhile within the nation’s southeastern port metropolis of Chittagong, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council introduced a sit-in and starvation strike from October 23 in protest towards the assaults throughout the Durga Puja celebrations.
The protest occasions will happen at Dhaka’s Shahbagh and Chittagong’s Andarkilla, the council’s General Secretary Advocate Rana Dasgupta stated at a press convention on the Chittagong Press Club.
Before making the announcement, the discussion board noticed a six-hour strike in Chittagong on Saturday.

The Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad has demanded exemplary punishments for these concerned within the rampant vandalism, violence and mayhem that passed off throughout the Durga Puja celebrations.
Milan Kanti Dutta, president of the discussion board, stated that they might launch a more durable motion if the federal government didn’t pay heed to their demand.
”From the house minister to ruling celebration General Secretary Obaidul Quader, all people has assured us saying they’re knowledgeable about every little thing. If you recognize every little thing, why are you not punishing the culprits?” he requested.
Charu Chandra Das Brahmachari, normal secretary of ISKCON Bangladesh, warned that the group wouldn’t sit silent and watch the assaults occur.
ISKCON says its temple and devotees have been ‘violently attacked by a mob in Noakhali, Bangladesh on Friday. (Twitter/@iskcon)
”We consider a gaggle of fundamentalists are initiating such hatred to upset non secular concord. We additionally know some activists of the ruling celebration are affiliated with such heinous crimes at some places.
”I wish to urge the prime minister to not change into weak and take motion towards them too,” he stated.
The leaders of the discussion board additionally demanded the enactment of a safety regulation and a nationwide minority council.

Meanwhile, the ruling Awami League-backed Blue Panel academics of Dhaka University on Sunday strongly condemned the vandalism at a number of Durga Puja venues and idols in varied locations throughout the nation.
Blaming the Opposition for the violence, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Saturday blamed the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) for engineering violence.
”… BNP-Jamaat is concerned in communal incitement. The BNP-Jamaat has chosen the trail of varied conspiracies by failing to cope with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina politically.

”There was a political motive behind the incident in Comilla which has provoked communal outrage throughout the nation,” the minister stated.
Mahmud stated that these vandalising temples and attacking the regulation enforcers are being recognized by means of CCTV footage.
The masterminds behind the violence will even be delivered to justice, he added.

The Durga Puja celebrations on Friday concluded in Bangladesh amidst days of communal unrest and violence over alleged blasphemy, resulting in the deployment of paramilitary forces in additional than half of administrative districts.
The paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has expanded the vigil from 22 to 34 out of 64 administrative districts.

The elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) stated it expects to arrest among the key perpetrators of the sporadic violence which passed off prior to now three days.
So far, 5 folks have been killed and scores of others injured throughout clashes between Muslim bigots and the police at Hajiganj sub-district in central Chandpur on Wednesday and Thursday.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promised to carry to justice the culprits behind the violence, saying anybody concerned within the assaults on Hindu temples and Durga Puja venues in Comilla won’t be spared.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (File picture)
”The incidents in Comilla are being completely investigated. Nobody will likely be spared. It doesn’t matter which faith they belong to. They will likely be hunted down and punished,” she stated whereas exchanging greetings with the Hindu group members throughout an occasion at Dhakeshwari National Temple in Dhaka on the event of Durga Puja.
The violence had erupted after an alleged blasphemy incident at a Durga Puja pavilion in Cumilla, bordering Chandpur and about 100 kms from Dhaka, after which a probe was launched.
Sporadic clashes continued on Friday between police and bigots whereas excessive right-wing Islamic Shashontantra Andolon on Saturday took out a giant procession in downtown Dhaka’s Purana Paltan space protesting what they referred to as as ”demeaning of the ”Holy Quran”.

The Durga Puja celebrations, thought of to be the largest pageant of the minority Hindu group in Bangladesh, concluded with out the standard Bijoya Dashami procession.
Due to the COVID-19 scenario, the procession was not carried out this 12 months.
This 12 months, the Durga Puja started on October 11.
Hindu devotees paid tribute to Goddess Durga for 4 days and immersed the idols in rivers on the fifth and remaining day on Friday.
This 12 months, Durga Puja was celebrated at 32,118 puja pavilions throughout the nation, together with 238 within the capital Dhaka, the report stated.