Hindu temple vandalised, Kali idol desecrated by miscreants in Bangladesh amidst ongoing persecution of Hindus
Nilphamari District, Bangladesh 
14 February, 2026
Case Summary
On 15 February 2026, in Khokshabari village of Sabullipara, Nilphamari-3, Bangladesh, an ancient Hindu Kali temple was attacked, and the sacred idol of the goddess was vandalised by miscreants. The temple, an important site of worship for the local Hindu community, was targeted by miscreants who broke the idols and desecrated the sanctity of the shrine. Videos of the incident circulated on social media, showing the destruction of the idol and the damage caused inside the temple premises. According to locals, not only were the idols damaged, but the temple premises were also attempted to be set on fire, and the contents of the sanctum sanctorum were scattered. The temple walls were also damaged, leaving the place of worship in disarray. The desecration of idols was seen as a deliberate attempt to intimidate the Hindu community and undermine their right to practise their faith openly. Authorities confirmed that investigations were underway, and security forces were deployed to prevent further unrest in the area. A fresh wave of anti-Hindu violence followed the 13th National Parliamentary Election 2026 in Bangladesh, reinforcing a recurring pattern of post-poll violence targeting Hindu minorities. Within days of the announcement of results, Hindu families in districts such as Noakhali, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Sylhet, Thakurgaon, and Dinajpur reported coordinated attacks involving arson, looting, assault, and vandalism of temples and homes. In several instances, Hindu homes were selectively targeted, looted, and families were threatened with displacement. This escalation of violence against Hindus in Bangladesh unfolded in three distinct phases: first, following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August 2024; second, after the death of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi in December 2025; and third, in the immediate aftermath of the 13th National Parliamentary Election 2026. This electoral violence unfolded against the broader backdrop of sustained anti-Hindu hostility that had persisted since the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024. During that period, multiple reports documented attacks on Hindu homes, temples, and religious institutions, alongside intimidation campaigns, arson, and mob assaults targeting minority neighbourhoods. The Hinduphobia tracker has recorded 336 such incidents against the Hindu minority, underscoring the scale and persistence of anti-Hindu violence during this period. A further escalation occurred following the death of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, a Muslim political activist and student leader known for his anti-Hindu and anti-India rhetoric. Hadi had been involved in political unrest after the fall of the Hasina government and was killed in Dhaka on 18 December 2025 during clashes. In the aftermath of his death, Hindu communities were blamed and subsequently targeted in retaliatory violence. Hindu homes were selectively set ablaze in multiple localities, forcing families to flee and leaving many displaced. The attacks appeared patterned rather than sporadic, with Muslim mobs focusing on Hindu neighbourhoods, properties, and religious symbols. Among the victims was Dipu Chandra Das, who was lynched to death and his body was 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. Such incidents underscore the vulnerability of the Hindu minority amid rising communal hostility and the weaponisation of religious accusations. Reports further indicated that posters and written materials calling for the extermination of Hindus were displayed in public spaces, signalling an alarming normalisation of genocidal rhetoric. When combined with acts of arson, vandalism, assault, and targeted intimidation, these developments suggest a coordinated environment of hostility aimed at terrorising the Hindu community and reinforcing majoritarian dominance.
Why it is Hate Crime ?
This case is being added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. 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 a religiously motivated hate crime under this category. The other subcategory 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. This case is being added to the tracker since the perpetrators targeted a Hindu temple for vandalism and desecrated sacred temple idols. The ancient Kali temple in Khokshabari stood as the beating heart of the local Hindu community's spiritual life, a place where families gathered for solace, rituals, and connection to the divine. The attackers didn't stumble upon it; they chose it deliberately, turning a haven of devotion into a nightmare of terror and outright rejection of the Hindu faith. Temples are not merely physical structures; they are sanctified spaces believed to embody the divine presence of Hindu deities. Acts of violence against such spaces are not isolated incidents of destruction but reflect underlying hostility towards Hindu beliefs and identity. The destruction of idols, scattering of sanctum contents, and attempts to set the temple on fire went beyond vandalism. In Hindu practice, idols and sanctum spaces are embodiments of divinity. Their desecration was therefore an assault on the faith itself, signalling hostility towards the community’s right to worship. The damage to temple walls further intruded upon the sanctified precinct, undermining the dignity and physical integrity of the faith space. The timing of the attack, immediately after elections and in the aftermath of Sharif Osman Bin Hadi’s death, revealed a pattern of violence where Hindu religious sites were deliberately singled out during political unrest in Bangladesh. This was not sporadic but systematic, with mobs targeting Hindu homes, temples, and neighbourhoods. The lynching of Dipu Chandra Das over fabricated blasphemy charges illustrated how false accusations were weaponised to justify violence against Hindus, deepening their vulnerability. As this assault was directed at both sacred icons and a consecrated place of worship, it is classified as a religiously motivated hate crime against the Hindu community. In this case, although the miscreants were unknown, the action stemmed from hatred against Hinduism and resulted in the desecration of the sacred Hindu idols. Therefore, this case is being categorised under the hate crime database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
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Perpetrators Details
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