Durga Puja: Radicals demand Tk 5 lakh from each Hindu Temple in Bangladesh

By Dipankar Roy, Khulna

Attacks and crimes perpetrated by the radicals on minority communities incessant in Bangladesh.

After the overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina-led government, the country’s minority communities especially Hindu have found themselves living in panic and trepidation following the continuous persecution.

The country witnessed a spate of violence, specifically targeting Hindu homes and places of worship across multiple districts as law and order is yet to be restored.

In Bangladesh’s Khulna district recently, the radicals sent extortion notes to different Durga Puja committee.

Shekhar Chandra Goldar, President of Kamarkhola Sarvajanin Durga Puja Celebration Committee of Khulna’s Dakop upazila , said, “Following the on going unrest situation in the country we decided earlier to perform Puja on a very small scale.”

“When we got such threatening letters. We lost our interest for Puja celebration as we are here in a state of panic”, he said.

Tapan Kumar Mandal, president of KR, Sarvajanin Puja Mandir also said, “We are terrified after receiving such letter while most of the members of our community decide not to celebrate Durga Puja this year.”

The letter also, threatens the puja committees with severe repercussions if they celebrate Puja without giving the fanatics Tk 5 lakh for each temple.

The funds must be paid in a certain Kalinagar area of the upazila, it said.

It also states that if the puja committees don’t pay the extortion money, they won’t be able to receive security from the administration, police, or even the Army.

The zealots also threaten to kill the puja committee members’ families if they don’t pay the extortion money and inform the administration or journalists.

The reference to “Hanif’s project” in the letters has sparked speculation among locals.

The criminals claimed in the letter that they looted the shrimp project of Awami League joint general secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Dacope Police Station, Siragul Islam said, ” A general diary was filed from four temples on Friday following the letter.”

“We are investigating the matter and trying to protect the temples”, the OC said.

“Our team with army visit different temple area regularly to beef up the security”, he added.

Source: The Chittagong Hill Tracts