Bangladesh: Hindu temples under seige

From People of Shambala:

Bangladesh: Hindu temples under seige

Posted: 17 Jan 2012 06:12 PM PST

Hindus in Bangladesh come out to demand the authorities protect Hindu and Buddhist temples from Islamic militants.

Bangladshi Hindus came out to form a human chain on the streets in protest against "land grabs" by Muslim organizations on 15th January, the day of the Makar Sankranti festival. Hindus allege that Islamic organizations have been seizing Hindu property, especially Hindu temples. 

Moth Mandir and Debbottor Sampatti Raksha Committee, the Hare Hrishna body ISKCON Dhaka, and the Sree Sree Radha kanto Jeo Temple committee jointly organized the protest, and demanded the authorities ensure the safety and security of Hindu and Buddhist temples in Bangldesh.

According to Hindu Existence, "Over a thousand Hindu protesters today came down to streets before the Press Club Dhaka, Bangladesh and blocked the roads for hours with a demand to arrest the perpetrators." They say the police and authorities have turned a blind eye to the illegal actions.

Hindu Existence alleges that, since 2008, some Islamist groups headed by Hazi Islam, Sarowar Hossian Alo, Ibrahim Molla, Arif Mallu, "have jointly been trying to grab many Hindu Shrines and its property in Dhaka (Capital of Bangladesh), old Dhaka area and adjacent places by ransacking the Hindu temples, bombing and looting of Hindu properties time and again."

"The perpetrators,"Hindu Existence claims, "made fake deeds to capture the SREE SREE RADHA KANTO JEO TEMPLE and attacked the temple and its inmates on 11-08-2010 with bomb sword and other lethal weapons. A diary was also made then for the protection of the Temple properties and its inmates. It may be mentioned that the world famous Hindu Organization and prime Vaishnava Order ISKCON is presently looks after the premises of this complex and consequently ISKCON is also being targeted by [...] Muslim fundamentalist[s]."

The Voice of India and Bangladesh Minority Watch allege that a Hindu temple was attacked in December.

Muslims "armed with deadly weapon jumped over the Hindu devotees without any provocation and seriously injured two Hindu devotees [...]. As a result of [the] attack by iron rod[s the] two victims [were] immediately rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment. The perpetrators not only physically attacked those devotees but also desecrated the Hindu deities, looted belongings," and damaged other property.

Bangladesh Minority Watch says that "some Muslim victims were also found injured due to [a] counter attack," as Hindus tried to defend their temple. Consequently the police put the investigation on hold, "to minimise tension between the two groups."