Police and minority Hindu members visit the four temples that were vandalized in the Fulbaria sub-district of Kurigram district in Bangladesh on May 2. (Photo supplied)
A Catholic bishop in Bangladesh has deplored the vandalism of four Hindu temples, expressing concern over the protection of religious minorities in the Muslim-majority nation that goes to polls next year.
“We are horrified when any minority is persecuted,” said Bishop Sebastian Tudu of Dinajpur diocese, located northwest of the capital Dhaka.
At least eight idols from four temples were destroyed and defaced by unidentified persons in the Fulbaria sub-district of Kurigram district in the northern part of Bangladesh in the wee hours of May 2.
One of the four places attacked was a popular temple dedicated to Hindu deities Radha and Krishna.
“Such an incident had never happened in our village before. We plan to provide security to protect our temples,” said 45-year-old Biren Chandra Barman, whose house is located near the temple.
Sajjad Hossain, additional superintendent of police of Kurigram, who visited the temples and interacted with Hindu religious leaders, told UCA News that those involved “in the vandalism will be quickly identified and brought to justice.
"Police and detectives have already started the investigation,” he said.
Bishop Tudu said not only Hindus but minority Christians are also persecuted in various ways in Bangladesh.
“Christians are often beaten up by Muslims in the diocese over land disputes. We have sought government attention to the issue,” Bishop Tudu told UCA News.
Violence against minorities around election time is common in this area. "We have already talked to the government and we want peace which has been assured by the government," Bishop Tudu added.
According to Anil Chandra Roy, general secretary of the Fulbaria branch of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, before the national elections scheduled for January next year, organized criminals are attacking temples to spread fear among the minorities.
“We demand justice and security,” Roy told UCA News.
Religious minorities routinely face violence. For example, last year 154 people of religious minorities, including Hindus, were killed and 360 injured, according to the council.
Several incidents of vandalism of houses, places of worship and businesses that resulted in the loss of nearly 220 million taka (US$2.15 million), were also reported last, year the council records show.
Muslims make up nearly 91 percent of Bangladesh’s population of 165 million, according to the 2022 national census. Hindus constitute about 8 percent and the rest is shared by Buddhism, Christianity and others.
Since 2013, Bangladesh has seen a rise in extremism when home-grown militant groups started attacking and killing atheist bloggers, liberal academics, religious minorities and foreigners among others.
Missionary Father Parolari Piero, 64, of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions was shot several times by three attackers in Dinajpur town as he was riding a bicycle on Nov.18, 2015. He survived the attack.
In the same year, Protestant Pastor Luke Sarkar was attacked. He escaped death although militants attempted to slit his throat in the northern Pabna district.
In 2016, a Catholic grocer was stabbed to death by suspected militants in the neighboring Natore district.The government action neutralized militancy. However, sporadic attacks against religious minorities such as the latest attack continue.
In April 2022, four statues at Mother Teresa Catholic Church were vandalized in the northern district of Joypurhat.
Four Muslims attacked the protestant Emmanuel Church at Aditmari in Lalmonirhat on Feb. 10, 2021.
