Act of deep sacrilege: B’desh human rights body for minorities condemns vandalism of Hindu temples

Dhaka: The Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) on Monday highlighted “a horrifying act meant to terrorize the Hindu minority community” in the country, in which miscreants vandalised a Mahastri Manasa and Durga Temple in Dinajpur district.

“The assailants vandalised the temple, smashed idols, and severed the head of the Goddess Manasa’s idol—an act of deep sacrilege designed to humiliate the minority community and instill fear. As the attackers fled, they threatened local Hindus with further violence, vowing to kill community members at the next opportunity,” read a statement issued by the HRCBM.

“The institutionalised fear prevalent among Bangladesh’s Hindu community—fueled by years of targeted violence, social marginalization, and systemic failures was painfully evident in this case,” it added.

The HRCBM mentioned that the local residents, despite the climate of fear, bravely apprehended some of the perpetrators, and immediately informed Dhananjoy Kumar Mahanta, Divisional Coordinator of the HRCBM in Dinajpur district.

According to the human rights body, the temple committee, intimidated by local Islamist forces and political pressures, refrained from filing a formal complaint.

In response, HRCBM, as “a rights organisation committed to protecting minority interests, filed the case on behalf of the community to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice”.

“Despite HRCBM’s submission of a formal complaint documenting a clear cognisable offense—namely, the desecration of a place of worship and threats against a minority community—the local police failed in their legal duty to register the case and initiate proper criminal proceedings. This failure represents a serious breach of both domestic and international legal obligations,” noted the human rights organisation.

“Furthermore, the police’s promotion of an Aposhnama (compromise deed) through the Union Parishad Chairman, Md. Humayun Kabir, despite the existence of a serious criminal offense, represents an abuse of authority and an attempt to shield offenders from prosecution, potentially constituting criminal misconduct,” it added.

Raising concern, the HRCBM stated that the alleged coercion became even more apparent when HRCBM’s Dhaka office contacted Marufat Hossain, Superintendent of Police, Dinajpur, seeking to ensure the case was properly registered.

“Rather than offering assistance, the Superintendent reportedly misbehaved, used threatening and unprofessional language, and sought to intimidate HRCBM’s Convenor, Advocate Lucky Bacchar. Such conduct is not only a violation of professional ethics but also a further obstruction of justice,” said the human rights organisation.

Emphasising that the Dinajpur temple desecration is not an isolated event, the HRCBM stressed that it reflected a wider and deeply troubling pattern in Bangladesh, where attacks on Hindu temples, minority homes, and properties have become increasingly frequent.

“Emboldened by rising religious intolerance, extremist actors exploit the prevailing atmosphere of impunity to seize minority lands, destroy places of worship, and terrorise vulnerable communities into silence or submission,” said the HRCM.

The human rights organisation appealed to national and international human rights bodies, including the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, to take notice of these recurring crimes against minorities and press Bangladesh to uphold its obligations under international law.

HRCBM further urged the interim government of Bangladesh under Muhammad Yunus to immediately register the case, investigate the alleged police misconduct, and take steps to restore minority confidence in the rule of law.

–IANS