The Vulnerability of Hindus in Bangladesh: Temples burnt, houses attacked

By A Staff Reporter: What began as protests against a government job quota system in Bangladesh has escalated into widespread looting and rioting, with the minority Hindu community bearing the brunt of the violence. Following Sheikh Hasina's flight to India and the delay in forming an interim government, social media has been inundated with videos of temples set ablaze and attacks on Hindu homes and businesses.

Amidst the chaos, there have also been instances of solidarity. Muslim clerics in Cumilla were seen protecting a Hindu temple, and students in Dhaka guarded the Dhakeshwari Mandir.

According to a report by Bangladesh's Daily Star, Hindu properties were attacked and looted in at least 27 districts. The Jammat-e-Islami has admitted to targeting Hindu temples.

In the Khulna division, an ISKCON temple in Meherpur and a Kali temple were vandalized and set on fire. ISKCON spokesperson Yudhistir Govinda Das tweeted that their rented center in Meherpur was burned, including the deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladev, and Subhadra Devi, although the three resident devotees managed to escape unharmed.

The lynching of Haradhan Roy was highlighted by Sanjeev Sanyal, a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, who tweeted his distress as a Bengali Hindu and descendant of refugees.