From Temple to Hindu Leaders, Bangladesh’s Anti-Hasina Mobs Attack Minorities

The mobs opposed to Bangladesh’s deposed leader Sheikh Hasina are looting and rioting across the country.

In addition to targeting facilities and leaders of Hasina’s Bangladesh Awami League (BAL), the mobs have also attacked the minorities in the country.

In addition to the killing of at least two Hindu councillors, attacks on temples and houses of Hindu commonfolk have also been reported in Bangladesh.

Among those protesting against Hasina and her party’s 15-year rule are the pro-Pakistan Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami. While the agitation began as a student-led protest against the quota system in the country, the political forces turned it into a mass movement against Hasina’s rule which climaxed on Sunday when nearly 100 people were killed. Earlier on Monday, Hasina resigned as the premier and fled the country for her life.

Even student activists part of the protests have flagged that Bangladesh’s Hindu minority is under attack.

2 Hindu councillors killed

At least two Hindu councillors have been killed in Bangladesh in the ongoing wave of violence.

In Rangpur district, Haradhan Roy of the Parshuram Thana Awami League was shot dead on Sunday, according to The Daily Star.

In the same city, another councillor identified as Kajal Roy was killed on Sunday, according to The New Indian Express.

Separately, CNN-News 18 reported that Haradhan’s nephew was also lynched by the mob.

Hindu temples & houses attacked

Religious centres of the Hindu movement ISKCON and temples of goddess Kali were also attacked, according to reports.

Yudhistir Govinda Das, ISKCON’s India spokesperson, said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the centre in was burnt and the deities were destroyed.

Three people at the centre escaped and survived the attack, said Das.

In Noakhali district, the mobs attacked Hindu houses, according to CNN-News 18.

Citing the footage of the attack, the report said the mob tried to break into the house and attacked the gate of the house of one Hindu person. We are withholding the name of safety concerns.

Student protestor flags violence against Hindus

The condition in Bangladesh is so grave that even a student protest leader who helped topple Hasina has flagged the violence against Hindus.

In an interview with DW News, student leader Prapti Taposhi said that Hasina’s ouster was only a partial success as violence against Hindus continues to take place and the military, which is in charge of the country for now, is not protecting the minority Hindus.

If the minority Hindus are not protected, then the protestors would have to return to the streets and resume the movement, said Taposhi.

Calling the military “inept”, Taposhi said the protection of the Hindus is a must.

The violence picked up pace after anti-Hasina forces in Bangladesh called upon those opposed to her to pick up sticks and take to the streets.

Bangladesh has long been infamous for attacks on minority Hindus. In the past many years, waves of violence against Hindus on festivals have occurred often but Hasina and her government appeared to be making efforts to contain the extremists. With Hasina out of the picture now and extremists of the BNP and Jamaat set to take over the country with the backing of the military, there are concerns that the overt violence and systemic persecution of Hindus could massively increase in Bangladesh.