Seven Hindu idols vandalised at Durga Puja mandap in Kishoreganj amidst rising persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh
Kishoregonj, Dhaka District, Bangladesh 
2 October, 2024
Case Summary
In Kishoreganj, Dhaka Division, Bangladesh, seven idols of Hindu deities were vandalised and destroyed at the Gopinath Jiur Akhara Durga Puja mandap on 3 October 2024. The attack took place in the wee hours of the night while the guards responsible for the security of the mandap were asleep. The perpetrators scaled the walls of the mandap and broke off the heads of the idols. After learning about the incident, police and local authorities visited the site and assessed the damage caused by the vandalism. An emergency meeting was subsequently held with leaders of the Hindu community, who demanded the immediate arrest of those responsible for the idol vandalism. Hindus also staged a protest in the evening of 3 October 2024, taking to the streets and assembling outside the office of the District Commissioner to seek justice. Despite assurances from Deputy Commissioner Fouzia Khan and Superintendent of Police Mohammad Hasan Chowdhury, no arrests were made. The incident left members of the Hindu community distressed and fearful ahead of the Durga Puja celebrations. Narayan Dutta Pradeep, president of the Kishoreganj District Puja Celebration Committee, said that the vandalism had left the Hindu community heartbroken and fearful. Meanwhile, Litton Sarkar, president of the Gopinath Jiur Akhara Durga Puja Celebration Committee, stated that those responsible sought to disrupt communal harmony and called for their swift identification and arrest. Since the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on 5 August 2024, Bangladesh has witnessed widespread political turmoil and violence, with the Hindu minority community facing a series of attacks by Muslim extremist mobs across the country. Hindu homes, businesses and places of worship have been targeted, with incidents of vandalism, arson, looting and destruction reported from various regions. Hindu women have also faced attacks and abductions amid the unrest. Muslim extremist groups and mobs have taken advantage of the prevailing instability, creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among Hindus. The situation has been further aggravated by the arrest of Hindu religious leaders, prompting members of the Hindu community to stage protests in different parts of Bangladesh and demand protection, justice and accountability for the violence and persecution they have faced.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category: Attack on Hindu religious representations. The first sub-category chosen is: Desecration of Hindu religious symbols. 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 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. The second sub-category selected is: Violence against religious structures or centres. In Hinduism, a religious structure is also considered divine. Hindus believe that not just the Deity but the religious structure itself is sacred. In this sub-category, we would document attacks against religious structures which are not consecrated temple spaces. Such religious spaces could be temporary in nature – for example – the religious spaces erected specifically for festivals like Durga Puja etc. This category would also document cases of attacks against religious centres. These spaces in their own right may not be ‘sacred’ per se, however, are often spaces where religious gurus live, religious teaching is imparted, or belong to religious institutions. Any attack against religious structures is a result of animosity towards the religion itself, which manifests itself through the religious spaces and therefore, such attacks are considered religiously motivated hate crimes. Religious centres are also manifestations of the religion, its teachings or gurus and therefore, attacks against such centres would be considered religiously motivated hate crimes. This case is a clear example of a religiously motivated hate crime because the perpetrators deliberately vandalised seven sacred idols of Hindu deities installed at a Durga Puja mandap in Kishoreganj, Bangladesh. The attack specifically targeted objects and representations that hold profound religious significance for the Hindu community, making the nature of the offence inherently connected to the victims' religious identity and faith. Hindu idols are sacred representations of deities and occupy a central place in Hindu religious worship. For Hindus, they are not merely artistic or physical objects but revered manifestations through which they express devotion, offer prayers, and participate in religious rituals and ceremonies. The deities represented through these idols, the idols themselves once installed for worship, and the religious spaces in which they are placed are all treated with reverence and regarded as sacred by the Hindu community. Durga Puja, meanwhile, is one of the most significant and widely celebrated Hindu festivals, dedicated to the worship of Goddess Durga and commemorating her victory over the demon Mahishasura, symbolising the triumph of good over evil. Durga Puja mandaps or pandals are specially prepared and decorated sacred spaces where idols of Goddess Durga and other Hindu deities are installed for worship during the festival. These pandals hold immense religious and cultural significance, serving as spaces where devotees gather to offer prayers, perform rituals, participate in religious ceremonies and collectively celebrate the festival. Thus, the Hindu idols, the worship associated with Durga Puja, and the mandaps or pandals in which these sacred idols are installed are all deeply revered by the Hindu community. Therefore, the act of vandalising all seven Hindu idols inside the Durga Puja mandap amounts to the desecration of sacred religious symbols as well as an attack on a space of religious significance to the Hindu community. Such an act deeply hurts Hindu religious sentiments and demonstrates a complete disregard for the sanctity attached to these revered representations. Deliberately damaging the idols in this manner reflects a willingness to violate what is sacred to Hindus and cause religious offence and distress to devotees. Moreover, since the vandalism took place inside a Durga Puja pandal, it also constituted an attack on the sacred space in which the idols had been installed and worshipped. The idols and the mandap form integral and inseparable parts of the larger Durga Puja celebrations, with the pandal serving as a place where devotees gather for worship, prayers and religious rituals. By desecrating the idols within this setting, the perpetrators therefore violated both the sacred representations and the religious space associated with their worship. Taken together, the nature and location of the attack demonstrate deep-seated religious hostility towards Hinduism and the Hindu community, making it a clear case of a religiously motivated hate crime. The fact that the incident occurred on 3 October 2024, just days before the commencement of Durga Puja celebrations in Bangladesh, further underscores the seriousness of the attack. The seven idols had been installed and prepared for worship during one of the most important Hindu festivals, making their vandalisation at this particular time especially significant. The timing of the attack suggests a deliberate attempt to desecrate sacred objects immediately before devotees were to gather for prayers and religious rituals, thereby causing distress, fear and disruption within the Hindu community at the outset of its festival celebrations. Targeting the idols so close to Durga Puja also interfered with the community's ability to prepare for and celebrate the festival in a safe and peaceful environment. The deliberate desecration of sacred Hindu symbols immediately before a major religious occasion therefore demonstrates hostility towards Hindu religious practices and sentiments, further establishing the incident as a clear case of a religiously motivated hate crime. The fact that the incident occurred against the backdrop of widespread violence, attacks and persecution faced by Hindu minorities following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government on 5 August 2024 further adds to its seriousness. Viewed within this broader climate of heightened anti-Hindu hostility, the attack cannot be seen in isolation but forms part of a wider pattern of incidents in which Hindu religious sites, homes, businesses and individuals were targeted amid the political instability in Bangladesh. This prevailing atmosphere of insecurity further highlights the vulnerability of the Hindu community and underscores the seriousness of attacks directed at its religious identity and places of worship. In this case, although the perpetrators remain unidentified, the nature of the act itself clearly demonstrates hostility towards Hindu religious symbols and practices. Therefore, this incident is being added to the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker as a clear case of a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Perpetrators not caught
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
