Hindu place of worship ransacked as burglars forcibly enter and loot Durga temple in Bangladesh
Jessore District, Bangladesh 
19 June, 2026
Case Summary
In Bandabila village of Bagharpara upazila in Bangladesh's Jessore district, a Durga temple was broken into and looted, with thieves stealing temple property and puja-related items worth approximately Tk 60,000. The perpetrators forcibly entered the Hindu place of worship after breaking the lock on the temple's grill and removing equipment and religious items used in temple activities. The incident took place sometime between late Saturday night, 20th June, and early Sunday morning, 21st June 2026, at the public Durga temple in Bandabila Uttarpara under Bandabila Union No. 2 of Bagharpara upazila. During the break-in, the perpetrators broke the temple's grill lock and entered the premises, then took away two ceiling fans, a monitor, a personal computer, a solar battery, and various items used for puja and temple activities. The theft came to light at around 6 am on Sunday morning when local resident Sujoy Kumar Pal was on his way to the field and noticed that the lock on the temple grill had been broken. He informed other residents of the locality, who subsequently gathered at the temple and confirmed that a burglary had occurred and that several items had been removed from the premises. Local residents stated that the value of the stolen goods and the damage caused by the theft amounted to approximately Tk 50,000 to Tk 60,000. The stolen items included equipment necessary for the day-to-day functioning of the temple as well as objects used in Hindu religious observances and puja rituals. Following the discovery of the theft, Additional Superintendent of Police (K-Circle) Md. Munna Biswas and Khajura Police Camp In-charge Sub-Inspector Firoz Hossain, accompanied by police personnel, visited the scene and inspected the temple premises. Police subsequently launched an investigation into the incident and initiated measures to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. The burglary occurred amid a broader climate of insecurity faced by the Hindu minority in Bangladesh, where Hindu places of worship, temples, idols, homes and businesses have repeatedly been subjected to attacks, vandalism, arson, looting and intimidation. The targeting of a Hindu temple and the removal of property and puja-related items from within the premises took place against this wider backdrop of continuing hostility directed at Hindu religious institutions and symbols. This escalation of violence against Hindus in Bangladesh has unfolded in three distinct phases: first, following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina's government in August 2024; second, after the death of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi in December 2025; and third, in the immediate aftermath of the 13th National Parliamentary Election 2026. Following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, multiple reports documented attacks on Hindu homes, temples, and religious institutions, alongside intimidation campaigns, arson, and mob assaults targeting minority neighbourhoods. The Hinduphobia Tracker has recorded 336 such incidents against the Hindu minority, underscoring the scale and persistence of anti-Hindu violence during this period. A further escalation occurred following the death of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, a Muslim political activist and student leader known for his anti-Hindu and anti-India rhetoric. Hadi had been involved in political unrest after the fall of the Hasina government and was killed in Dhaka on 18th December 2025 during clashes. In the aftermath of his death, Hindu communities were blamed and subsequently targeted in retaliatory violence. Hindu homes were selectively set ablaze in multiple localities, forcing families to flee and leaving many displaced. The attacks appeared patterned rather than sporadic, with Muslim mobs focusing on Hindu neighbourhoods, properties, and religious symbols. Among the victims was Dipu Chandra Das, who was lynched to death and his body was set ablaze by a Muslim mob over false blasphemy allegations. The Hinduphobia Tracker documented 51 incidents of anti-Hindu violence in the period following Hadi's death alone. Such incidents underscored the vulnerability of the Hindu minority amid rising communal hostility and the weaponisation of religious accusations. Reports further indicated that posters and written materials calling for the extermination of Hindus were displayed in public spaces, signalling an alarming normalisation of genocidal rhetoric. When combined with acts of arson, vandalism, assault and targeted intimidation, these developments suggested a coordinated environment of hostility aimed at terrorising the Hindu community and reinforcing majoritarian dominance. The third phase of violence was unleashed after the 13th National Parliamentary Election 2026. Within days of the announcement of results, Hindu families in districts such as Noakhali, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Sylhet, Thakurgaon and Dinajpur reported coordinated attacks involving arson, looting, assault and vandalism of temples and homes. In several instances, Hindu homes were selectively targeted, looted and families were threatened with displacement. The burglary at the public Durga temple in Bandabila village and the theft of property and puja-related items from inside the temple occurred within this wider environment of sustained insecurity facing Hindu religious institutions and the Hindu minority community in Bangladesh.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category - Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within this, the subcategory selected is - Attack on temples. In Hinduism, a temple is the abode of the Deity. The Deity in the Temple is consecrated, thereby, making it a real, breathing entity. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the temple premises itself are sacred to Hindus since Hindus hold the faith that the entire Temple space is an amalgamation of the divine energy of the deity. Given the central significance of Temples in Hindu Dharma, any attack against a Hindu Temple or its peripheral premises is an attack on the faith itself and is born out of animosity towards the faith, of which, the Temple is a central tenet. Any manner of attack against a Temple and/or its premises would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime. In this case, the public Durga temple in Bandabila village of Bagharpara upazila, Jessore, Bangladesh, was targeted when perpetrators forcibly entered the temple premises and stole multiple items used in the functioning and religious activities of the shrine. The attack was directed at a Hindu place of worship during a period when Hindu temples and religious institutions across Bangladesh continued to face repeated incidents of vandalism, theft, desecration, and intimidation. The burglary affected not only temple property but also the religious life of the Hindu devotees who relied on the temple and its materials for worship and community activities. The primary religious marker in this case was the targeting of a Hindu temple. Hindu temples are sacred spaces where devotees perform daily worship, celebrate festivals, preserve traditions, and maintain a spiritual connection with their deities. The temple in question was dedicated to Goddess Durga, one of the most revered deities in Hinduism and a symbol of divine protection, and the triumph of good over evil. Temples dedicated to Goddess Durga hold profound spiritual and cultural significance for Hindu devotees and often serve as focal points of community life. By breaking into the Durga temple and removing property from within its premises, the perpetrators violated a site that held deep religious significance for the local Hindu community. In a country where Hindus constitute a vulnerable religious minority and where Hindu places of worship have repeatedly faced attacks and desecration, the targeting of a temple dedicated to a revered Hindu deity carried significance beyond ordinary theft and reflected the continuing insecurity and vulnerability of Hindu religious institutions amidst a broader environment of anti-Hindu hostility.The selection of a Hindu place of worship as the target ensured that the impact of the incident extended beyond material loss and directly affected a sacred institution central to Hindu religious identity. The other religious marker was the theft of items used for temple activities and worship. The perpetrators removed equipment and articles that were integral to the functioning of the temple, including items used during puja and religious observances. In Hindu tradition, objects kept within temple premises and used for worship carry religious significance because they facilitate devotional practices and the continuation of sacred rituals. The removal of these items disrupted the functioning of the temple and interfered with the ability of devotees to conduct religious activities in the manner prescribed by their faith. Consequently, the incident transcended ordinary theft and assumed a distinctly religious dimension because it directly affected the operation of a Hindu place of worship. The targeting of the Durga temple must also be viewed within the wider environment of anti-Hindu persecution in Bangladesh. During a period marked by repeated attacks on Hindu temples, idol desecration, vandalism of places of worship, theft of sacred objects, and intimidation of Hindu communities, incidents involving Hindu religious institutions acquire significance beyond their immediate material consequences. The violation of a temple belonging to a vulnerable religious minority creates fear and insecurity among devotees and reinforces concerns regarding the safety of Hindu places of worship and the free exercise of religious practices. For the purpose of documenting the 2024 to 2026 ethnic cleansing of Hindus in Bangladesh and the subsequent persecution following the political exile of Sheikh Hasina, the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, and the 13th National Parliamentary Election 2026, the Hinduphobia Tracker records such incidents as likely religiously motivated at the point of entry. If any case is later established through credible investigation or court findings to stem from motivations unrelated to religious hostility, it will be revised or removed from the hate crime database. The calculated intrusion into the Durga temple and the removal of items from a sacred Hindu space reflected the continuing vulnerability of Hindu religious institutions in Bangladesh. The attack affected the sanctity of the temple and interfered with the religious practices of the devotees connected to it. The incident joins a growing number of cases in which Hindu places of worship have faced attacks affecting their security, sanctity, and continuity of worship during a period of sustained anti-Hindu hostility. Given Bangladesh's sustained anti-Hindu persecution environment, this case meets all thresholds for inclusion in the Hinduphobia Tracker's hate crime database.
Case Status
Complaint not filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
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