Hindu temple targeted, idol of Goddess Kali vandalised and beheaded in Bagerhat, Bangladesh
Bagerhat District, Bangladesh 
20 September, 2026
Case Summary
In Kharasambal village under Bagerhat Sadar Upazila in Bangladesh, a Hindu temple was targeted for desecration. A few unidentified miscreants vandalised the sacred idol of Goddess Kali and severed its head. According to media reports, the attack targeted the Southpara Sarbojanin Sri Sri Kali Temple, where Kali Puja is held every Tuesday. The incident came to light on the afternoon of 21 September 2026, when local Hindus visited the temple to prepare for the weekly Kali Puja. Upon entering the temple, they found the idol of Goddess Kali in a desecrated condition. Several parts of the idol had been smashed, and its head had been completely severed. The temple authorities were immediately informed, following which members of the temple committee rushed to the site and witnessed the vandalised idol. Sarbajit Haladar, General Secretary of the Southpara Sarbojanin Sri Sri Kali Temple, stated that two members of his family had gone to the temple in the afternoon to make preparations for the weekly worship. They were the first to discover that the idol had been extensively damaged and its head had been cut off. After receiving information about the incident, officials from the Bagerhat Sadar Upazila administration and members of the local police visited the temple on the evening of 21 September 2026. However, by the afternoon of 22 September 2026, no perpetrator had been identified or arrested. Temple authorities stated that they did not know who had carried out the desecration or what the motive behind the attack had been. The desecration of the Kali idol sparked concern among the local Hindu community, with residents demanding that those responsible be identified and brought to justice. This incident occurred against the broader backdrop of the historical persecution faced by Hindus in Bangladesh. While the Hindu minority has endured discrimination, targeted violence, and religious hostility over decades, such persecution has intensified in distinct spurts during periods of political and social instability. The latest major escalation began and continued after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024, followed by another surge after the death of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi in December 2025, and subsequently in the immediate aftermath of the 13th National Parliamentary Election in 2026. Following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, multiple incidents involving attacks on Hindu homes, temples and religious institutions were documented, alongside intimidation, arson and mob violence targeting Hindu localities. The Hinduphobia Tracker recorded 336 incidents involving the Hindu minority during this period, reflecting the scale of the escalation and the continuing vulnerability of Hindus in Bangladesh. A further spurt of violence followed the death of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, a Muslim political activist and student leader known for his anti-Hindu and anti-India rhetoric, in December 2025. In the aftermath, Hindu communities were subjected to retaliatory violence, with Hindu homes and properties selectively attacked and several families forced to flee. Among the victims was Dipu Chandra Das, who was lynched and whose body was subsequently 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, further illustrating how existing hostility towards the Hindu minority intensified during moments of communal mobilisation. During the same period, posters and written material calling for the extermination of Hindus were also displayed in public spaces. Such rhetoric, when viewed alongside incidents of arson, vandalism, assault and targeted intimidation, reflected an environment in which hostility towards Hindus was not merely episodic but repeatedly resurfaced in more intense forms during periods of unrest. The most recent escalation followed the 13th National Parliamentary Election in 2026. In the immediate aftermath of the election results, Hindu families in districts including Noakhali, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Sylhet, Thakurgaon and Dinajpur faced attacks involving arson, looting, assault and vandalism of Hindu homes and temples. In several instances, Hindu properties were selectively targeted, and families were threatened with displacement. The present incident therefore occurred within a much longer history of persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh, where hostility towards the community has persisted over time and intensified in repeated spurts. The latest cycle began after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina and continued through subsequent periods of political and communal upheaval, leaving the Hindu minority increasingly vulnerable to targeted violence, intimidation and religious hostility.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category: Attack on Hindu religious representations. The sub-category selected is: Desecration of Hindu religious symbol. Icons and symbols, or a religious representation of a spiritual ideal, are widely revered in Hinduism. Iconography is of vital significance in the Hindu milieu. It helps connect people’s spiritual beliefs with the real world. Iconography within the Hindu faith takes several shapes and forms. Murtis are of great significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are made. Besides the murtis, there are several other symbols which have deep significance in the Hindu faith – the Om and Swastika, for example. Since these Hindu religious symbols hold paramount importance in Hinduism, any desecration of symbols, icons, murtis, religious representations and manifestations is driven by animosity towards the faith itself, which manifests itself through these murtis, icons and symbols. Therefore, any desecration of these Hindu religious symbols and representations is considered religiously motivated hate crimes under this category. The other sub- category 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 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. This case is a clear example of a religiously driven hate crime because the perpetrators targeted a Hindu temple and desecrated the sacred idol of Goddess Kali by vandalising it and severing its head. The attack was directed at a Hindu place of worship and a revered Hindu deity, making the religious identity of the target central to the crime. A Hindu temple is the most sacred place of worship in Hinduism, where devotees gather to offer prayers, perform rituals, and maintain a living relationship with the divine. It is not merely a physical structure but a consecrated spiritual space that serves as the religious and cultural heart of the Hindu community. Within every temple, the murti (sacred idol) is regarded as the divine embodiment of the deity after consecration and is worshipped with the same reverence as the deity itself. Goddess Kali holds a deeply revered position in Hinduism as the fierce yet compassionate Divine Mother, symbolising the destruction of evil, the protection of devotees, and the triumph of righteousness. Her worship carries immense spiritual significance, particularly in Bengal and Bangladesh, where Kali Puja is observed with great devotion. For Hindus, her idol is not merely an artistic representation but a sacred object of worship through which devotees express faith, devotion, and surrender to the Goddess. Therefore, the act of vandalising the idol of Goddess Kali inside a Hindu temple amounted to an attack on the Hindu faith and one of its most sacred religious symbols. Damaging a murti is not viewed as ordinary vandalism but as the desecration of something profoundly sacred to Hindu believers. The perpetrators did not merely damage property; they smashed the idol in several places and deliberately severed its head, demonstrating extensive and targeted destruction. The manner in which the idol was mutilated showed that the desecration was intentional rather than accidental or incidental. By beheading the sacred idol of a revered Hindu deity, the perpetrators inflicted profound injury upon the religious sentiments of the Hindu community, making the act one rooted in anti-Hindu hostility. The fact that this desecration occurred inside a functioning Hindu temple further intensified its impact because temples and their consecrated idols are inseparable in Hindu religious practice. Every Tuesday, devotees gathered at this temple to perform Kali Puja, making it an active and cherished centre of worship. Discovering their sacred temple violated and their presiding deity desecrated caused deep emotional, spiritual, and communal distress among the local Hindu community. The targeting of both the temple and its principal deity reflected animosity towards a sacred Hindu religious space and the devotees who worshipped there. This attack also unfolded within the broader context of Bangladesh, where the Hindu minority has faced recurring episodes of persecution, intimidation, temple desecration, land encroachment, and violence over many decades. In recent years, particularly following the political upheaval and exile of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, numerous incidents involving attacks on Hindu homes, businesses, temples, and places of worship have heightened insecurity among Hindu communities across the country. Against this backdrop of repeated anti-Hindu persecution, the desecration of a Kali temple in Bagerhat formed part of a continuing pattern of religious hostility directed at Hindu religious institutions and symbols. In this case, although the perpetrator's identity remained unknown, the act that was committed showcased clear hostility towards Hinduism and the Hindu community. Therefore, it was added to the Hinduphobia Tracker's hate crime database.
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