A temple of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) in Meherpur, situated in the Khulna division of Bangladesh, was subjected to vandalism and arson amid ongoing unrest in the country following the resignation and exit of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This incident at the ISKCON temple is part of a larger surge of violence that has affected several Hindu temples throughout Bangladesh within the past day.
Yudhistir Govinda Das, a spokesperson for ISKCON, verified the occurrence, stating, “According to the information I have received, one of our rented ISKCON centers in Meherpur was set ablaze, including the deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladev, and Subhadra Devi. Three devotees residing at the center managed to escape and survive.”
The circumstances for religious minorities in Bangladesh have become increasingly dire following Hasina’s removal from power, with Hindu temples experiencing assaults amid the prevailing turmoil. Kajol Debnath, the leader of the Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, informed the news agency PTI that at least four Hindu temples were attacked on Monday, resulting in minor damages. In addition to the assaults on temples, an Indian cultural center in Dhaka was also defaced by a violent mob.
The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, which fosters cultural exchange between India and Bangladesh, sustained damage during the unrest. Protesters in the capital set ablaze several significant sites, including Bangabandhu Bhaban, the personal residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father and former President of Bangladesh, who is also the father of Sheikh Hasina. What began as protests against a quota system for civil service positions escalated into demands for Sheikh Hasina’s resignation after violent confrontations between demonstrators and supporters of her Awami League party resulted in numerous fatalities.
Faced with immense pressure from the widespread protests, Sheikh Hasina discreetly resigned and left the country on Monday. General Waqar-Uz-Zaman, the army chief of Bangladesh, announced the formation of an interim government and urged protesters to halt the violence.