Around 200 people chanted “Allahu Akbar” as they attacked the ISCON temple in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The development was confirmed by the administration of the Sri Sri Radhakanta Jiu Mandir. ISCON India has condemned the attack that took place on Dol Yatra and Holi.
Yesterday evening, as devotees prepared for Gaura Purnima, a mob of 200 people stormed the premises of Shri Radhakanta Temple in Dhaka and began vandalizing it,” Radharamn Das, Vice-President ISKCON Kolkata, told ANI. “Three of our devotees sustained injuries in the altercation. Fortunately, they contacted the police and were able to detain the miscreants on the temple grounds,” he explained.
Indian Authorities perspective
Slamming the attack, Radharaman Das, vice-president of ISCON Kolkata, stated: “Hindus must STOP looking to namesake institutions such as the UN, which is deaf to Hindus’ cries.”
Das expressed grave concern about the attack and urged the Bangladesh government to take stringent action and ensure the safety of the country’s Hindu minorities. This incident comes on the heels of a series of attacks on minority religious sites in Bangladesh in October.
He continued, “We are surprised that the same United Nations remains silent regarding the plight of thousands of defenceless Bangladeshi and Pakistani minorities. Numerous Hindu minorities have perished, their property has been destroyed, and they have been raped, but the United Nations can only ponder Islamophobia.”
The Hindu American Foundation stated in response to the attack, “They vandalized the temple and its murti, as well as looted money and other valuable items.” During this attack, at least three Hindu devotees were injured.”
According to a report published by India Today, the attack injured three devotees: Sumantra Chandra Shravan, Nihar Haldar, and Rajiv Bhadra. The popular Twitter account Voice of Bangladeshi Hindus shared distressing images illustrating the extent of the damage to the Sri Sri Radhakanta Jiu Mandir.
Meanwhile, the High Commission of India has said that it remains in touch with the minority groups, law enforcement, and senior leaders in Bangladesh. The high commission said that the cause of the dispute, according to the Bangladeshi authorities, was a longstanding dispute over the land on which the ISCON temple exists.
“Reportedly, a recent judgment in the dispute went in favor of one litigant, who then tried to unilaterally enforce his title by force,” the high commission said, according to sources.
Violence During Last year Durga Puja
On 16 October last year, an ISKCON temple in Bangladesh’s Noakhali city was vandalised and a devotee was killed by a mob. Previously, Bangladesh was gripped by communal tensions following allegations of the Quran being dishonoured at a puja pavilion in Cumilla on 13 October last year, sparking violence in several districts throughout the country.
Published By : Revathy G Sanal
Edited By : Subbuthai Padma
