Bangladesh: Hindu bodies report 34 attacks on Durgā Pūjā venues; border guards deployed at 2,727 mandaps
At Dhakeshwari National Temple, the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and the Mahanagar Sarbojanin Puja Committee said 34 incidents of temple attacks and idol vandalism hit puja venues in Sylhet, Rajbari, Panchagarh, Netrokona, Tangail, Sunamganj and other districts.
- IANS
At Dhakeshwari National Temple, the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and the Mahanagar Sarbojanin Puja Committee said 34 incidents of temple attacks and idol vandalism hit puja venues in Sylhet, Rajbari, Panchagarh, Netrokona, Tangail, Sunamganj and other districts. Border Guard Bangladesh said it is securing 2,727 mandaps, 1,425 of them in border areas, from 21 base camps.
Former PM Sheikh Hasina, in a Pūjā message, alleged a "deep sense of insecurity" among minorities since August 2024, a claim that has not been independently verified.
Key data
34 incidents as reported by the two organisations, with arrests in 11. About 10,000 border guards deployed from 16 to 22 Oct.
Why it matters
This is the first Durgā Pūjā under the new BNP-led government. The incident counts come from community bodies and have not been officially confirmed.
GK: did you know?
Hindus were 7.95% of Bangladesh's population in the 2022 census.
