Hindu Temple vandalised, ornaments adorning the deity's idol stolen
Chittagong, Chittagong Division, Bangladesh 
22 January, 2025
Case Summary
A Hindu temple located in Sarkar Market under the jurisdiction of Hathazari Police Station in Chattogram commonly known as Chittagong district in Bangladesh, was found vandalised. Local Hindus discovered that the gate and a portion of the wall of the Sri Sri Jwalakumari Mata temple had been broken. Upon further inspection, it was found that valuable ornaments adorning the deity's idol had been stolen, and the temple's donation box had been forcibly opened with all the money taken. This incident was reported as Hindus are being persecuted in the Islamic nation of Bangladesh, especially after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024. Taking advantage of the political turmoil to unleash a wave of terror and violence against the Hindu community, the Islamist mobs have attacked Hindu homes, burned them to the ground, and abducted women in a horrific descent into anarchy. Several temples have been destroyed in various parts of the Islamic country in a major crackdown on Hindus. Further, the arrest of three Hindu priests, attempts to ban the Hindu organisation ISKCON and stifling Hindu protests with cases of ‘sedition’ highlight systematic persecution under the interim government of Muhammad Yunus. There have been multiple instances of attacks on Hindus under the pretext of ‘blasphemy.’ The recent cases of Hridoy Pal, Utsab Mandal, Partha Biswas Pintu, Akash Das, Pranta Talukder and Utsab Kumar Gian are shining examples of targeted persecution. So far, there have been many attempts to downplay violence against Hindus as ‘fake‘, ‘exaggerated‘ or ‘politically motivated‘.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the prime category of- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, the first 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 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. The second 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 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 removal of Sheikh Hasina from power in Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, escalated the persecution and marginalisation of the Hindu minority in the predominantly Islamic nation, intensifying what can be described as a silent genocide. Since her ouster, Islamists have carried out unchecked atrocities against Hindus, including physical violence, the destruction of temples and religious symbols, and the systematic displacement of Hindus from their ancestral lands. Over 205 attacks on Hindu temples, shops, and businesses have been recorded following Sheikh Hasina's removal as Prime Minister. Many Hindus have been brutally murdered or injured in these assaults. Amid this large-scale persecution of Hindus, this report indicates, that the Sri Sri Jwalakumari Mata temple in Bangladesh was vandalised, ornaments adorning the deity's idol had been stolen, and the temple's donation box had been forcibly opened with all the money taken. It is important to highlight that the radicals involved in the vandalism were fully aware that Hindu temples are sacred centres of worship for Hindus. By targeting the temple, they knowingly attacked the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. The purpose behind this was obviously to intimidate, harass, or provoke the Hindu worshippers. Furthermore, it was done primarily to target Hindus, making it a kind of religious harassment worthy of being listed in the tracker. It is also important to mention here that though the last update was that the miscreants were unknown, regardless, the action stemmed out of hatred against Hinduism and resulted in the desecration of the sacred temple and would therefore be considered a religiously motivated hate crime.
Case Status
Unknown
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
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