Attacks on Hindu houses, temples, businesses go on

Rahul Ananda’s Home Looted And Burnt, Photos: Collected and Arshadul Hoque Rocky

Star Report, Wed Aug 7, 2024 12:00 AM

Within the first day and a half since the fall of Sheikh Hasina-led government, the country witnessed a spate of violence, specifically targeting Hindu homes and places of worship across multiple districts as law and order is yet to be restored.

In the absence of law enforcers, attacks on Hindus have flared unprovoked in many communities since Monday.

In Dhaka's Dhanmondi, the home of band Joler Gaan's frontman Rahul Ananda was set on fire and burnt to the ground on Monday.

"As soon as they broke down the gate, they started ravaging the house, taking whatever they could find for themselves. They took everything -- from furniture and mirrors to valuables. After that, they torched the whole house along with Rahul da's musical instruments,"

a close family source of Rahul told The Daily Star.

The home was nearly 140 years old, according to an earlier report of this newspaper.

Rahul and his family managed to flee to safety.

Later that same day, the Dhanuka Manasa Bari temple in Shariatpur was ransacked by an angry mob. They crushed the idols of Radha-Krishna and razed the temple to the ground. They also damaged all 16 CCTV cameras installed inside the temple premises.

Gobindo Chakrabarty, the temple committee's general secretary, said, 

"After attacking the temple, they surrounded our homes and were going to attack us. The army intervened and saved us."

Also on Monday, the Dinajpur Centre Cremation yard was vandalised, said Sunil Chakraborty, president of Dinajpur Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikya Parishad.

Besides, five temples, including a Kali temple, in the district's Parbatipur upazila were attacked.

The homes of some Hindu families came under attack in Chirirbandar upazila. A place designated for Harisobha was also vandalised there.

Affected villagers informed the police but they did not take any action.

Burning Hindu house in Bangladesh

In Birampur upazila, the house of Dilip Kundu, a fertiliser and agrochemical trader, was attacked. He said the plan to attack was even announced on a loudspeaker to gather more people. They also attacked, vandalised and looted his shops.

Several Hindu families of Bochaganj upazila came under attack and arson, said Chakrabarty.

In Patuakhali's Kuakata, a temple was attacked and set ablaze, and the homes of two members of the Hindu community were vandalised yesterday.

Around 5:00pm, around 20-25 people attacked the home of Ananta Mukherji and razed the Radha-Krishna temple adjacent to it.

Less than an hour later, another group ransacked Kolapara municipal Mayor Bipul Haldar's house and set it on fire. They also burnt a private car of the mayor parked in front of the house.

In Barishal's Gouranadi upazila, miscreants vandalised and looted a clothing store owned by Bhola Saha on Monday night.

Meanwhile, the head teacher of Mahilara Secondary School was assaulted in her home in Mahilara union.

Attackers also set ablaze the house of Jibon Krishna Piplai, a prominent businessman in Barishal city, but residents came forward to extinguish the fire.

In the predominantly Hindu areas of the city's Katpatti, Chawkbazar and Bazar Road, miscreants were seen running around with sharp weapons, reported our correspondent.

Arichul Haque, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said they could not get out of their station due to security concerns.

In Bogura, Tapan Kumar Chakraborty, secretary of Bogura's Hindu-Bouddha-Christian Oikya Parishad, said, 

"Members of the Hindu community here are in a state of panic as their businesses, shops and homes were attacked yesterday [Monday]."

On Monday evening, attackers set ablaze some haystacks in some Hindu  homes in Palpara village in Bogura's Gabtali upazila, Ashik Iqbal, OC of Gabtoli Police Station, confirmed to The Daily Star.

Similar incidents were reported in at least 27 districts during the first hours of the government's ouster.

Source: Dailystar