Hindu idols desecrated at century-old Hindu temple just ahead of Durga Puja in Kushtia, Bangladesh
Kushtia District, Bangladesh 
7 October, 2026
Case Summary
In Kumarkhali, Kushtia district, Bangladesh, sacred Hindu idols being prepared for Durga Puja at the Khayerchara Sarbajanin Matrimandir were vandalised by unknown miscreants. On the night of 8 October 2026, idols being prepared for the then upcoming Durga Puja were vandalised at the Hindu temple. The damage was discovered on the morning of 9 October 2026, when members of the temple committee found the temple’s bamboo fencing broken and several idols damaged. The affected idols included those of Lord Ganesha, Goddess Lakshmi and the lion associated with Goddess Durga. According to Kaushik Biswas, general secretary of the temple committee, idol-making work had continued until around 2:00–2:45 AM, after which the craftsman, Adhir Biswas, and others left the temple premises to rest at a nearby house. When they returned at around 6 am, they discovered the damage and informed the police. The vandalism was therefore carried out during the short period when the temple premises were unattended, just days before the beginning of the major Hindu religious festival. The temple did not have CCTV cameras or a security perimeter. Police, local residents, temple committee members and representatives of the local Durga Puja celebration committee visited the site. Kumarkhali Police Station Officer-in-Charge Jamal Uddin stated that there had been a previous dispute concerning the temple committee and its land. Temple committee representatives also referred to internal disagreements over the construction of the idols and expressed concern that someone might have exploited the dispute to create tension. Local puja committee representatives condemned the vandalism and called for those responsible to be identified and brought to justice. Police began investigating the incident and said that legal action would be taken after identifying those responsible. 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 ?
The primary category selected in this case is: Attack on Hindu religious representations. The subcategory selected is: Desecration of Hindu religious symbols. Icons and symbols, or religious representations 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 the most significance to Hindus, to which daily rituals, prayers and offerings are done. 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. This case constituted an attack on Hindu religious identity because idols being prepared for the then upcoming Durga Puja festival at the Khayerchara Matri Sarbojonin Puja Mandir in Kumarkhali, Kushtia, Bangladesh, were deliberately vandalised. The damaged idols included those of Lord Ganesha, Goddess Lakshmi and the lion associated with Goddess Durga, which formed part of the religious preparations for the festival. The vandalism directly targeted sacred representations used in Hindu worship, interfering with the community’s preparations for an important religious observance. Durga Puja is one of the most significant Hindu festivals, particularly among Bengali Hindu communities. It celebrates Goddess Durga and her victory over the demon Mahishasura, symbolising the triumph of good over evil. The preparation and worship of the goddess’s idol, alongside other religious representations associated with the festival, form a central part of the observance. The vandalism therefore affected objects integral to the performance of Hindu religious rituals rather than ordinary property unrelated to religious practice. In Hinduism, idols serve as sacred representations of deities and provide devotees with a tangible focus for worship, through which they offer prayers, perform rituals and express their devotion. They are prepared, consecrated, worshipped and incorporated into the ritual life of temples and religious ceremonies. Deliberate damage to or desecration of an idol therefore constitutes an attack on a religious symbol that holds profound significance for Hindu devotees. The identities of the damaged representations further demonstrated the religious significance of the act. Goddess Lakshmi is revered in connection with prosperity and auspiciousness, while Lord Ganesha is worshipped as the remover of obstacles and invoked at the commencement of important undertakings. The lion is the sacred vehicle of Goddess Durga and is associated with her strength and divine power. Their damage affected multiple sacred representations within the same Hindu religious setting and disrupted preparations for a festival centred on the worship of Goddess Durga. The timing of the vandalism heightened its impact on the local Hindu community. The idols were being prepared for the forthcoming Durga Puja and were discovered damaged on the morning of 9 October 2026, after work had continued into the early hours. The incident therefore interrupted religious preparations at a crucial stage before the festival. It affected the community’s ability to proceed with the planned worship using the idols in the condition in which they had been prepared. The religious nexus in this case arose from the direct targeting of sacred Hindu representations intended for worship during a major Hindu festival. The damage interfered with the community’s religious preparations and affected the use of objects central to its devotional practices. Taken together, the nature of the objects vandalised, their intended religious function and the timing of the incident established the direct impact of the act on Hindu religious practice. Accordingly, this case has been documented in the Hinduphobia Tracker's Hate Crime Database as an instance of religiously motivated hostility directed against Hinduism and the religious identity of the Hindu community. Although the perpetrator's religious identity remains unknown, the act targeted the sacred Hindu idols and reflected hostility towards Hinduism and its devotees. Therefore, this case is being added to the Hinduphobia Tracker's Hate Crime Database.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
