Local Correspondent: Attacks and vandalism at temples have been reported in Chattogram. The incidents took place on Friday in the city’s Patharghata area and on Thursday night in the Patiya upazila.
According to police and eyewitnesses, on Friday around 2:00 PM, a procession moving towards Patharghata passed through the Kotwali intersection.
At one point, some individuals from the procession broke the main gate of the Shantanniveshwari Matrimandir on Harishchandra Munsef Lane and entered the temple.
They vandalized the glass of the Shani Mandir on the ground floor and started throwing stones. The situation was later brought under control by the army and police.
Tapan Das, a permanent member of the temple management committee, stated that several shops and houses around the temple were also damaged during the incident.
Sub-Inspector (SI) Mahbubur Rahman of Kotwali Police Station, who was at the scene, said, “Some people from the procession entered Patharghata and attempted to throw stones and vandalize the temple.
We were few in number and tried to stop them. Later, when more police and army personnel arrived, they left.”
Meanwhile, in Patiya upazila, miscreants vandalized the ISKCON-operated Basudev Dutta Mukund Dutta Dham temple in the Chanhara area on Thursday night.
Patiya Police Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md. Najmun Noor stated, “Unknown individuals broke the lock of the temple gate, and the CCTV camera line was also cut off.”
Attack in Bhairab, Kishoreganj: An attack also occurred at the ISKCON-run Shri Shri Hare Krishna Namhatta Sangha in Bhairab, Kishoreganj, on Friday at around 5:00 PM in the Ranirbazar area.
Eyewitnesses reported that a group of people with sticks attacked the temple and quickly left the scene.
Local residents mentioned that the Shri Shri Hare Krishna Namhatta Sangha is located on the ground floor of a building in the Ranirbazar area, and the temple office is typically open only on Sundays for prayers and kirtans.
Witnesses stated that the attackers shouted slogans and vandalized furniture and picture frames before leaving.