Hindu temple demolished in Bangladesh: Minority groups protest, India slams interim government

Durga temple demolition in Bangladesh: Minority groups in Bangladesh held protests in Dhaka on Friday (June 27) after a makeshift temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Durga was demolished by the South Asian nation's rail authorities. India has condemened the demolition, saying extremist groups were clamouring for its destruction, and slamming the interim government of Muhammad Yunus.

What happened to the Durga Temple in Bangladesh?

The Durga temple located in Khilkhet, Dhaka was demolished by Bangladesh Railway authorities on Thursday. According to reports, the authorities claimed that the temple was built illegally on railway land. The temple committee secretary, Arjun Roy, said there was no prior notice, adding "We are very disheartened over the incident."

How the demolition of Hindu temple in Bangladesh took place

According to reports, more than 500 people, carrying sticks, surrounded the temple before its demolition. The mob demanded the temple's removal. Bulldozers arrived at the scene and the Durga temple was demolished amid a large police presence, said the reports. The temple destruction led to widespread anger among Bangladeshi Hindus.

Protests in Bangladesh over Hindu temple demolition

On Friday, a human chain protest was held in Dhaka by minority organisations such as the Bangladesh Sanatani Group and Sanatani Andolan in Shahbagh. Calling the demolition a 'brutal scene that hurt our sentiments’, Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council's Manindra Kumar Nath said, "We condemned such acts of destructive and violent religious frenzy. In protest of this, the Sanatani society has woken up today."

Nath said the government was "instigating a particular community."

The protestors plan to hold a rally at the Dhaka Press club to condmen the silence of Mohammad Yunus' interim government. "Unfortunately, this government is carrying out such condemnable acts... labelling these incidents as rumours," news agency ANI quoted Nath as saying.

Organisations like the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, the Mahanagor Sarbojanin Puja Committee, and the Minority Rights Movement condemned the incident. Critics noted that other nearby illegal structures were spared from the demoltion drive evan as the temple was targetted.

India reacts strongly to Durga temple demolition in Bangladesh

On Thursday, India reacted strongly to the demoltion of the Hindu temple in Bangladesh, slamming the interim government. During his weekly press briefing, India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We understand that extremists were clamouring for demolishing the Durga temple in Khilkhet, Dhaka.

"The interim government, instead of providing security to the temple, projected the episode as illegal land use... This resulted in damage to the deity before it was shifted," Jaiswal said.

He reminded the Bangladesh interim govement of its dut to protect Hindus, their properties and religious institutions.

Since the ouster of the democratically elected Sheikh Hasina in 2024, Bangladesh has witnessed several attacks on Hindus and minority communities