 |
| The ISCKON Hindu temple in Noakhali was attacked by a Muslim mob . A day after the temple attack, prime minister Sheikh Hasina condemned the violence, saying the perpetrators "must be found out".(Photo from BBC) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] Like many Hindus, Bonolata Das believed a temple was a safe and sacred place. She sent her son to stay in the temple, however, tragedy struck. He’s allegedly beaten to death there by hundreds of religious fundamentalists in the Muslim-majority nation.
Her son was a victim of mob violence that began after rumors spread that the Quran had been insulted at a special pavilion set up for the annual Hindu religious festival, Durga Puja, in the town of Comilla. Within hours of the rumor spreading on social media, hundreds of Muslim fundamentalists went on a rampage targeting Hindu religious pavilions in Comilla. Soon, the violence spread to other parts of Bangladesh. Temples were desecrated and hundreds of houses and businesses of the Hindu minority were torched. Seven people, including two Hindus, were killed and many more injured in days of violence. Police opened fire and used tear gas in several places to contain the raging mob.
Hindus constitute less than 9% of Bangladesh's more than 165 million population. Though there have been several attacks on religious minorities in the past, community leaders say this is the worst large-scale mob violence against the community in the country's history. Meanwhile, leaders of Islamist movements have said they are opposed to violence against any minorities.
