Hindu Homes, Temples Targeted After Hasina Ouster

DHAKA, (REUTERS) – Hundreds of Hindu houses, businesses and temples have been vandalized since the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, a community association said on August 6, and India said it was worried about the incidents.

Hindus constitute about 8% of Bangladesh’s 170 million people and have historically largely supported Hasina’s Awami League party, which identifies as largely secular, instead of the opposition bloc that includes a hardline Islamist party.

Neighboring India, now sheltering Hasina after she fled on August 5 from deadly protests after 15 years in power, said, what was “particularly worrying was that minorities, their businesses and temples also came under attack at multiple locations”.

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council said 200-300 mainly Hindu homes and businesses had been vandalized, and 15-20 Hindu temples damaged. Up to 40 people have been injured though not seriously, its general secretary, Rana Dasgupta, said.

“The communal atrocities erupted hours before she resigned,” he said. “Although there is no killing, there is injury. Houses and businesses of minorities, especially Hindus, as well as temples, have been targeted, looted, damaged.”

Dasgupta said some people he could not identify had thrown a brick at his car when he was out on the road on Monday in the southeastern district of Chattogram.

“I stand against communal atrocities and will not stop,” he said. “Until my death, I shall fight for them. I may not be able to physically protect them, but I can give them courage. I may not be able to resist attacks, but I can protest.”

“The situation is horrific,” said Manindra Kumar Nath, a Hindu community leader. “Even today, we are getting calls from people asking us to save their lives, but we are not receiving any support from anywhere.”

The military’s media office said security forces were helping maintain law and order across the South Asian nation, without specifying any incidents.

“Everyone’s cooperation is highly desired in this regard,” it said in a statement.

Students who led the protests Hasina that have killed nearly 300 people since July have repeatedly urged people not to target minority communities in the overwhelmingly Muslim country. But Hindu community leaders said they were feeling vulnerable because of the lack of a functioning government.