Hindu temple targeted for robbery in Bangladesh amidst rising persecution of Hindu minorities
Brahmanbaria District, Bangladesh 
24 July, 2026
Case Summary
In Nabinagar municipality headquarters of Brahmanbaria district, Bangladesh, the historic Sri Sri Central Kali Temple, a revered Hindu place of worship, was targeted for robbery by a few unidentified miscreants. The perpetrators stole gold ornaments adorning Goddess Kali, silver articles used for religious purposes, three sacred Shaligram Shilas, and cash worth approximately 1 million Bangladeshi Taka (10 lakh Taka). The theft of sacred temple belongings caused anger and distress among the local Hindu community, who expressed concern over the security of Hindu religious sites and the protection of their sacred articles. The incident took place late on the night of 25 July 2026, when the perpetrators entered the temple by breaking the glass of a temple ventilator. They stole 4–5 sacks of gold ornaments, around 20 sacks of silver items, 20,000 Bangladeshi Taka in cash, and three Shaligram Shilas kept inside the temple before fleeing. According to the initial estimate of the temple authorities, the stolen items were valued at approximately 1 million Bangladeshi Taka, while the Sri Sri Kali Temple Management Committee estimated the total value of the stolen property to be between 1 million and 1.2 million Bangladeshi Taka. Following the incident, Gouranga Acharya, the priest of the temple, confirmed that the stolen items included gold ornaments adorning the deity, silver articles, cash, and three Shaligram Shilas. Sitanath Sutradhar, President of the Sri Sri Kali Temple Management Committee, stated that the miscreants had stolen various gold ornaments belonging to the deity and other valuable temple property. The burglary caused widespread concern among local Hindus, who demanded a swift investigation into the incident, the identification and arrest of those responsible, and stronger security arrangements for the temple and other Hindu places of worship. After receiving information about the theft, Morshed Alam Chowdhury, Officer-in-Charge of Nabinagar Police Station, visited the temple along with police personnel and inspected the scene. Police collected evidence from the spot and stated that the incident would be investigated as a priority, with necessary legal action to be taken against those responsible. 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.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
The primary category for this case is: Attack on Hindu religious representations. The subcategory for this case 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 themselves 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 historic Sri Sri Central Kali Temple in Bangladesh was targeted by unidentified miscreants who unlawfully entered the temple premises and stole sacred religious articles, including gold ornaments adorning the deity of Goddess Kali, silver items, three Shaligram Shilas, and cash. The attack was directed against a Hindu place of worship and resulted in the loss of valuable temple property as well as sacred articles associated with Hindu religious practices. The burglary affected not only the temple's material resources but also a religious institution sustained through the devotion and contributions of Hindu devotees. The primary religious marker in this case was the targeting of a Hindu temple and the theft of articles belonging to the deity and the temple. Hindu temples are sacred spaces where devotees perform daily worship, conduct religious rituals, preserve traditions, and express their devotion through offerings made to the presiding deity. The Sri Sri Central Kali Temple is dedicated to Goddess Kali, one of the most revered deities in Hinduism, worshipped as the embodiment of divine power, protection, and the destruction of evil. The stolen gold ornaments adorning the deity, silver articles, and Shaligram Shilas held religious significance beyond their material value, as they formed part of the temple's sacred possessions used in Hindu worship. By breaking into the temple premises through the ventilator and stealing ornaments offered to the deity, sacred Shaligram Shilas, and other temple property, the perpetrators targeted articles that were integral to Hindu religious practice. The theft of sacred objects from a Hindu place of worship affected the religious sentiments of devotees and compromised the sanctity of the temple. In a country where Hindus constitute a vulnerable religious minority and where Hindu temples have repeatedly faced incidents of vandalism, desecration, theft, and intimidation, the targeting of a Hindu religious institution carried significance beyond ordinary theft and raised concerns regarding the security of Hindu places of worship. The manner in which the offence was carried out further highlighted its seriousness. The perpetrators broke the glass of a temple ventilator to gain entry into the premises and stole gold ornaments, silver items, cash, and three Shaligram Shilas before fleeing. The act demonstrated deliberate targeting of a Hindu temple and its sacred belongings rather than an accidental or incidental theft. The theft directly interfered with the religious articles and resources associated with the functioning, maintenance, and worship activities of the temple. The targeting of the Sri Sri Central Kali Temple must also be viewed within the wider environment of concerns faced by Hindu religious institutions in Bangladesh. During a period marked by repeated reports of attacks on Hindu temples, idol desecration, theft of temple property, vandalism of places of worship, and intimidation of Hindu communities, incidents involving Hindu religious institutions acquired significance beyond their immediate material consequences. Violations of temples belonging to a vulnerable religious minority created fear and insecurity among devotees and raised concerns regarding the safety of Hindu places of worship and the freedom to practise religious traditions. For the purpose of documenting the 2024–2026 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 2026 13th National Parliamentary Election, 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 judicial findings to have stemmed from motivations unrelated to religious hostility, it will be revised or removed from the hate crime database. The calculated intrusion into the Sri Sri Central Kali Temple and the theft of deity ornaments, sacred Shaligram Shilas, silver articles, and other temple property reflected the continuing vulnerability of Hindu religious institutions in Bangladesh. The incident compromised the sanctity and security of a Hindu place of worship and affected a temple sustained by the religious devotion and contributions of its devotees. It joined a growing number of documented cases in which Hindu temples had been subjected to attacks affecting their security, sanctity, and uninterrupted functioning during a period of sustained concerns regarding anti-Hindu hostility. Given Bangladesh's sustained anti-Hindu persecution environment, the deliberate targeting of a Hindu temple, the theft of sacred religious articles belonging to the deity, and the broader pattern of attacks on Hindu places of worship, this case met the threshold for inclusion in the Hinduphobia Tracker's hate crime database.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
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