Dhaka: The cases of discrimination against Hindus in Bangladesh have not stopped and now Hindus are facing many problems even during Durga Puja. About 35 unpleasant incidents have come to light during Durga Puja celebrations here. 17 people have been arrested in these cases and about a dozen cases have been registered. Fundamentalists have called for an Islamic revolution from the Durga Puja pandal.
School teacher Supriya Sarker is glad to celebrate Bangladesh’s largest Hindu festival Durga Puja but feels the festivities would be more jubilant without the fear and violence that overshadow this year’s event.
The weeklong celebration that ends in the Muslim-majority Bangladesh on Sunday with immersions of the Hindu Goddess has strained the Hindu community with reports of vandalism, violence, and intimidation in parts of Bangladesh, which has seen harassment and attacks on Hindus, who make up about 8% of the country’s nearly 170 million people, or more than 13 million people.
Five-Day Hindu Religious Festival
The five-day Hindu religious festival began on Wednesday with the invocation of Goddess Durga, called Maha Shashthi. The celebrations will conclude on Sunday with the immersion of the idols of Goddess Durga. Meanwhile, on Sunday, Chief Advisor Mohammad Yunus will visit the centuries-old Dhakeshwari National Temple, one of the major Shakti Peethas located in the heart of the national capital.
Hindus, who make up about 8 percent of Bangladesh’s 170 million population, suffered heavy losses during the student-led violence that erupted after the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5. Businesses and properties belonging to Hindus were vandalised and temples were attacked.
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