In a disturbing incident at a Durga Puja mandap in Dhaka, Bangladesh, four individuals were stabbed as they celebrated the festival. The attack occurred when an assailant, attempting to flee the scene after throwing a cocktail bomb at a Hindu idol, turned violent. Fortunately, the bomb did not detonate.
The incident took place in the Tanti Bazar neighborhood, where social media footage captured a man throwing an explosive device toward the idol before escaping. Durga Puja is being celebrated at over 32,000 mandaps nationwide, but the atmosphere has been marred by recent violence.
#CCTV: #Bangladesh: Cocktail bomb hurled at a Durga puja mandap in #Dhaka’s Tanti Bazar area last night. The bomb didn’t explode but those present inside the puja mandap tried to catch hold of the unknown person who hurled the bomb but he stabbed them with a sharp weapon & fled… pic.twitter.com/qZYGMFTbBB
— Pooja Mehta (@pooja_news) October 12, 2024
This stabbing comes just two days after a handcrafted golden mukut (crown) gifted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was stolen from a Hindu temple in the southwestern Satkhira district, raising concerns in India.
According to police reports, there have been 35 incidents related to the ongoing Durga Puja celebrations since October 1, leading to 11 formal cases and 24 general diaries being registered. Seventeen individuals have been arrested in connection with these events. Hindus make up approximately 8% of Bangladesh’s 170 million population and have increasingly faced violence, including vandalism of businesses and temples, particularly following political unrest that erupted after the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5.
In a separate incident, tensions rose in Chattogram, about 250 km southeast of Dhaka, when several men performed a song calling for an Islamic revolution on stage at a Durga Puja mandap. This incident sparked outrage among the local Hindu community, prompting police to arrest two individuals involved.
Hillol Sen Uzzal, the general secretary of the Puja Udjapan Parishad in Chattogram, expressed shock at the incident and noted the growing concern within the community. Videos of the performance circulated widely on social media, further inflaming public sentiment.
As the Durga Puja festivities continue, these incidents highlight the ongoing challenges faced by minority communities in Bangladesh amid rising tensions.
