Durga idol desecrated at Dakshinpara Kali Temple in Dhamrai, Bangladesh, amidst ongoing persecution of Hindus
Dhaka District, Bangladesh 
2 October, 2024
Case Summary
An idol prepared for Durga Puja at Dakshinpara Sarvajanin Sri Kali Temple in Dhamrai, near Dhaka, was vandalised, causing panic and unrest among devotees in the area. The temple, surrounded by a boundary wall and secured by a large gate, had its idol covered with a cloth after being completed. The exact time and perpetrators behind the incident remained unknown. The vandalism came to light on October 3, during a grant distribution ceremony organised by the Dhamrai Upazila Administration for the Durga Puja celebrations. Dakshin Para Kali Mandir Committee President, Shri Jagadish Chandra Sarkar, who was attending the event, received a phone call informing him about the incident. He immediately alerted others and rushed to the temple, where he found the idol broken. Dhamrai Police Station Officer-in-Charge, Md. Monirul Islam, along with other police officers and personnel, visited the temple to investigate. The incident occurred amidst widespread unrest following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government on August 5, 2024. The political turmoil created an environment where Islamist extremists unleashed violence against the Hindu community. Reports of Hindu homes being attacked, temples destroyed, and women abducted highlighted the escalating persecution. This wave of terror has left Hindus in Bangladesh living in fear, with many unable to celebrate their religious festivals safely.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Within this, the subcategory 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 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 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. In this case, the Ganesh murti was desecrated. In Hindu Dharma, the murti is not a mere artistic representation, but a consecrated embodiment of the divine presence. Hindus perform prana-pratishtha to invite the deity’s energy into the murti, making it a sacred, living manifestation of the divine. Daily prayers, offerings, and rituals are directed toward this consecrated form. When such a murti is desecrated or vandalised, it is not merely an attack on stone or clay—it is an assault on the sacred presence that Hindus revere and worship. Desecration of idols reflects animosity towards Hindu faith itself, because the iconography is central to the practice of Dharma. It is intended to humiliate and wound the religious sentiments of Hindus by targeting what they consider most sacred. Hence, vandalism of a murti is a direct hate crime against Hindus. A Hindu temple (mandir) is not just a gathering place for worship—it is regarded as the abode of the deity, charged with divine energy. The temple is sacred in its entirety: from the sanctum where the deity resides to the outer courtyards where rituals and festivals take place. Any act of aggression against a temple—whether damaging its premises, breaking idols, or obstructing worship—is more than vandalism of property; it is an assault on Hindu spiritual life and collective identity. For Hindus, harming a temple is equivalent to attacking the living presence of the deity and the community’s right to practice their religion freely. Therefore, such acts are inherently hate crimes against Hindus, born out of religious hostility and aimed at instilling fear, insecurity, and suppression of Hindu Dharma. These kinds of attacks are not isolated but are part of a recurring pattern of religious hostility towards Hindu minorities in Bangladesh. Time and again, Hindu religious sites and symbols have been destroyed and desecrated by members of the Muslim community. This stems from religious animosity that exists in Islam against idol worshippers like Hindus, as idol worship is forbidden in Islam. This results in Hindus being frequently targeted and attacked just for practising their own faith. These attacks on temples and temple idols are not just acts of vandalism; they are direct assaults on the religious identity of Hindus. It highlights an atmosphere of religious intolerance where Hindu minority communities live under constant threat to their faith and dignity.
Case Status
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Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
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Perpetrators Range
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Perpetrators Gender
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