TW: graphic images

While we, on this side of the border, spent a joyous Dusshera and Durga Pujo, our brothers and sisters in Bangladesh spent days filled with terror.

What happened during Durga Pujo, 2021?

The trouble started from late-September when several Durga Protima (vigraha or image of Ma Durga) were vandalised by extremists in Chittagong, Dhaka and other places.

Then, the Durga pratima was prevented from being worshipped in the historic Shankhnidhi Puja Mantap. The Devi had to be worshipped on the streets and only after protests was a temporary space granted.

While further attacks on the pandals continued, Bangladeshi Hindus faced a far more vicious attack. At Comilla, a nasty rumour was spread that the Quran was desecrated in one of the pandals. Exploiting the rumour and using it as an excuse, the puja mantap at Comilla was savagely attacked with the images of the Gods being vandalised brutally. The Bangladeshi Hindu community had to guard their pandals and mantaps against such attack. The attacks were pre-planned and in some mandapas, bombs were recovered, indicating that the safety of the community was now endangered.

The worse was yet to come. The Bengali Hindus, like in 1947, were once again attacked in Naokhali. Reports indicate that at least 4 Hindus have been killed in the attack on them. One person's body was recovered from a pond in Naokhali. Several more have been injured.

The attacks are still continuing. Only yesterday, an ISKCON temple in Naokhali was attacked and the sculpture of Shri Prabhupada was disfigured.

It is worth mentioning that attacks and vandalism of Durga Mandapas are almost routine in Bangladesh during Pujo. It has been said that the Islamist extremist group, Jamaat-e-Islami are behind this violence. The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami was a political party (has since been banned from contesting elections) which has the express goal of creating an Islamic state with Sharia law is implemented. The organization was responsible for the 2013 violence when more than 50 Hindu Temples were set on fire and more than a thousand Hindu businesses were torched. The leader of the organization has even asked for the expulsion of Hindus and other minorities of Bangladesh.

The worst part? The attacks on Hindus have not garnered the necessary international attention and condemnation that it should. It is unacceptable that the community is exposed to such grave danger for merely exercising their right to celebrate their festival.

While Sheikh Hasina has assured protection, the attacks continue and the PM has blamed the situation in India for the violence faced by Bangladeshi Hindus. This is an unacceptable answer and is tantamount to shirking from acknowledging the fanatic problem that Bangladesh suffers from. India's Ministry of External Affairs has expressed concerns about the violence but the appropriate action should be to notify the CAA rules and provide asylum to the community.

My heart goes out to the Bengali Hindu community has routinely suffered from religiously motivated hatred. The community has borne severe intergenerational trauma and yet, they remain firm in the worship of our Gods and Goddesses. The only fitting way in which the rest of us can help them is to acknowledge and pay attention to this burning issue.

Spread the word!

In solidarity!

May Durga protect all!

Read more at:

https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/mob-durga-puja-pandals-vandalised-bangladesh-dhaka-1864698-2021-10-14

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/bangladesh-on-edge-after-durga-puja-violence-security-tightened-101634276449027.html

https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/body-recovered-pond-noakhalis-begumganj-2199616

ISKCON Bangladesh's Twitter handle: https://twitter.com/IskconBDH