Hindu temple looted and set on fire by miscreants in Feni amidst rising anti-Hindu attacks in Bangladesh
Feni District, Bangladesh 
1 March, 2026
Case Summary
In Tulatuli Bazar, Daganbhuiyan, in the Feni district, Bangladesh, a Hindu temple was looted and set on fire by a few unidentified miscreants on 2nd March 2026. According to media reports, on the day of the incident, after 2.00 AM, the miscreants broke the lock of the temple’s iron gate at the family temple of Manoranjan Doctor’s house beside the BRAC office near Tulatuli Bazar and entered the temple. There was an idol in the temple. They looted the valuables kept in the temple and then set it on fire. Almost all the belongings of the temple were burned in the fire. Temple and house owners Narayan Chandra Nath and Shyamal Chandra Nath said that about Tk 200,000 worth of damage was caused by the fire and looting by miscreants. Family members felt insecure after the incident. They demanded punishment for the perpetrators. Daganbhuiyan Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Shahidul Islam and police officials visited the scene on the morning of 2nd March 2026. A police team stood on guard. Local leaders of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, a minority rights organisation, also went to the spot at noon on 2nd March 2026 and spoke with the temple authorities. UNO Shahidul Islam said the matter of the temple fire had been reported to higher authorities. Police had been told to take legal steps through a proper investigation. Rasik Shekhar Bhowmik, president of the Daganbhuiyan upazila unit of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, said the matter had been informed to Abdul Awal Mintoo, minister for Forest, Environment and Climate Change and member of parliament from Feni-3 constituency. He assured legal action against those involved. Daganbhuiyan police station officer-in-charge Faizul Azim Noman said a written complaint was filed at the police station on the afternoon of 2nd March 2026 by the temple authorities. Police investigated the incident and conducted drives to arrest those involved. This attack comes at a time when Hindus are facing a fresh wave of attacks in Bangladesh following 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 incident has been added to the tracker under the primary category- Attack on Hindu religious representations. Under this, the first 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. The other 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. This case is being added to the Hinduphobia Tracker as a stark example of a religiously motivated hate crime against Hindus in Bangladesh, where perpetrators deliberately targeted a Hindu temple for looting and desecration, embodying a blatant anti-Hindu attack. Temples hold profound religious significance for Hindus, serving as sacred spaces where devotees connect with the divine through worship, rituals, and community gatherings. These revered institutions embody the living presence of deities, housing idols that represent eternal spiritual truths and fostering a sense of devotion that binds families and neighbourhoods across generations. Any attack on a Hindu temple stems from religious animosity, as seen in this case, where perpetrators looted the temple at Tulatuli Bazar, desecrating its sanctity, and then set it ablaze, resulting in the destruction of all sacred religious materials and belongings inside. This deliberate violation of a sacred Hindu space marks a clear instance of a religiously motivated hate crime. The temple stands as a sacred symbol of Hinduism itself, a beacon of faith that miscreants showed utter contempt for by looting valuables and torching the structure. Such an assault not only inflicted physical damage worth Tk 200,000 but also provoked deep emotional hurt to the Hindu community in Bangladesh, shattering their sense of security and reverence for their holy site. By targeting this family temple tied to Manoranjan Doctor’s house, the attackers directly struck at the heart of Hindu devotion, making this a stark case of religiously motivated hate crime. Had the motive been mere theft, the perpetrators would have looted the valuables and fled, leaving the temple intact. Instead, they chose to raze the entire structure to the ground after breaking the iron gate lock after 2:00 am on 2nd March 2026, ensuring the complete annihilation of sacred idols and religious artefacts within. This calculated act of arson reveals profound hatred and utter disregard for Hindu faith and its sacred spaces, confirming the religiously motivated nature of the crime. The timing of this attack in 2026, set against the backdrop of escalating violence towards Hindus following Bangladesh's 13th National Elections and the death of Osman Hadi in December 2025, underscores its deliberate and calculated intent. During this volatile period of religious turmoil, Hindus endured selective targeting, with numerous temples desecrated, demolished, and idols deliberately damaged or destroyed amidst widespread unrest. Occurring squarely amidst a surge in anti-Hindu attacks, this brazen vandalism of the Tulatuli Bazar temple fits seamlessly into the established pattern of systematic persecution, heightening its severity as a religiously motivated hate crime. Although the perpetrators' identities remain unknown at the time of writing this report, their actions unequivocally demonstrate religious hatred towards Hindus and their temple. Therefore, this case is being documented in the Hate Crime Database of the Hinduphobia Tracker.
Case Status
Complaint filed
Perpetrators Details
Perpetrators
Unknown
Perpetrators Range
Unknown
Perpetrators Gender
unknown
Sources 
