A fresh incident of theft at a Hindu temple in Bangladesh has renewed concerns over the safety of religious minorities, with an ISKCON priest warning that members of the community no longer feel secure amid a spate of attacks.
The latest incident was reported from an ISKCON temple in Brahmanbaria district, where miscreants allegedly broke into the premises in the early hours of Monday and decamped with 14 idols, gold and silver ornaments, two donation boxes and several ritual items.
The break-in is believed to have occurred between 2 am and 3 am at the temple located in Nasirnagar Upazila, according to Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo.
Five rooms inside the temple complex were found forcibly opened.
The theft came to light around 4 am when temple priest Adi Shishya arrived to perform the morning Mangal Aarti and noticed broken locks at the main gate and other sections of the complex.
He immediately informed the temple’s service chief, Sukhada Balaram Das, following which police and local administration officials visited the site on Tuesday to assess the situation.
Expressing anguish over the incident, the temple priest questioned the repeated targeting of Hindu religious sites.
“What is our crime? Why are we being subjected to such torture again and again? We do not feel safe,” he said, reflecting growing unease within the community.
The incident is the latest in a series of attacks on Hindu temples and individuals that have reportedly intensified following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024.
Rights groups and community organisations have documented a sharp rise in violence against minorities across the country over the past several months.
Data compiled by community organisations indicate that between November 26, 2024, and January 25, 2025, at least 76 incidents of anti-Hindu violence were reported in Bangladesh.
Earlier figures released by the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council showed that between August and November 2024, at least 82 Hindus were killed and more than 2,600 incidents of atrocities were recorded.
ISKCON temples have featured prominently among recent targets. In December 2024, vandals damaged idols at three Hindu temples in Mymensingh and Dinajpur districts.
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In another incident the same month, the Shri Shri Mahabhagya Lakshmi Narayan Temple in the Turag area was set ablaze using petrol or octane, completely destroying the idols and items inside.
Condemning the attacks, ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharaman Das said the violence has disproportionately affected the Hindu community and warned that continued inaction could worsen the situation.
The organisation has urged the Bangladeshi authorities, as well as the international community, to take immediate steps to curb such incidents and ensure protection for all citizens, irrespective of faith.
Hindus make up around eight per cent of Bangladesh’s population of about 170 million, and rights groups continue to press for accountability and stronger safeguards to prevent further religious violence.
