Three Hindu temples vandalised in Bangladesh amid ongoing protests by minorities against arrest of Chinmoy Krishna Das

The attack occurred around 2:30pm at the Harish Chandra Munsef Lane, where the Shantaneshwari Matri Temple, the nearby Shoni Temple, and Shantaneshwari Kalibari Temple were targeted, reported bdnews24.

Temple authorities told the news portal that a large number of slogan-shouting mob threw brickbats at the temples which damaged the Shoni Temple and the gates of the other two Hindu temples.

Police told bdnews24 website that the damage to the temples was minimal after the confrontation between the two sides, with both groups throwing brickbats at each other.

Tapan Das, a permanent member of the Shantineshwari Main Temple management committee, and a leader of the Harish Chandra Munsef Lane community, told bdnews24.com: “A procession of hundreds arrived after the Juma prayers. They started shouting anti-Hindu and anti-ISKCON slogans.”

“The attackers began hitting the main gate of the Shantaneshwari Temple, and threw brickbats. At the time, they vandalised the Shoni Temple and also attacked the Kali Temple. Several nearby shops were also targeted,” he said.

“We did not obstruct the attackers. When the situation worsened, we called the army, who arrived quickly and helped restore order. All the temple gates were closed before noon. The miscreants arrived unprovoked and carried out the attack," he said.

Meanwhile, Kotwali Police Station chief Abdul Karim confirmed the attack and told the news portal that assailants attempted to damage the temples.

“Both sides threw brickbats at each other. The miscreants attacked a small temple. Police intervened to control the situation between both parties,” he told bdnews24.com.

He said the situation in the area is currently under control.

Bangladesh is once again witnessing turmoil since Chinmoy Krishna Das was arrested recently, triggering massive protests by minority community members in the country.

Bangladesh has been struggling for the past several months since a massive anti-job quota demonstration forced former PM Sheikh Hasina-led government to topple, ending her new term prematurely and leaving the country amid a political crisis.

It is suspected that foreign hands were at play in orchestrating the unrest and planning her ouster.

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus-led government took charge of the country just three days after Hasina exited the country. Yunus, known for his closeness to the US Democrats, also accepted later in an event in America that there was “design and conspiracy" involved in the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU), a wing of the country's central bank, has directed banks to freeze the accounts of 17 individuals associated with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Bangladesh, including Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, for 30 days.

The other people are Kartik Chandra Dey, Anik Pal, Soroj Roy, Sushanta Das, Biswha Kumar Singha, Chandidas Bala, Jaydev Karmakar, Lipi Rani Karmakar, Sudhama Gaur Das, Lakkhan Kanti Das, Priyatosh Das, Rupan Das, Rupan Kumar Dhar, Ashish Purohit, Jagadish Chandra Adhikari and Sajal Das, reported The Daily Star.

The development came just days after the Hindu monk was arrested over sedition charges from Dhaka airport on November 25 which triggered violence across Bangladesh.

He is accused of hoisting a saffron flag above the Bangladeshi national flag in October when he participated in a rally.

More than 2,000 instances of atrocities have taken place in Bangladesh since Sheikh Hasina's government was ousted in August 2024, a recent report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Commonwealth reveals.

The report alleges that the interim regime has manipulated the legal system to target political rivals, journalists, and former officials, while also noting the growing power of Islamist extremists, according to tbsnews.net.

This misuse of the legal framework has raised serious concerns about human rights and the integrity of the rule of law.

"The politicisation of the legal system in Bangladesh is nothing new. Indeed, Professor Yunus himself was sentenced to six months in jail after being accused of violating the country's labour laws in January 2024 under the previous administration," says the report.