Same town, same time: Idol for Durga Puja celebrations vandalised in Bangladesh again

Dhaka, Sep 20: Some unidentified miscreants vandalised Durga idol being constructed for the upcoming Durga Puja festival in the Kushtia town of Bangladesh on Tuesday night. This is the same town and the same time of the year when last year, a similar act had led to nationwide protests in Bangladesh.

According to reports, unidentified miscreants vandalised the under-construction Durga murti in Lahini Karmakar village of Kushtia District. The attackers fled from the spot when the local Hindus noticed them. During this act, the attackers broke the heads, arms, legs, etc. of the idol which was still under construction.

Several Bangladeshi Hindus and Hindu groups rushed to Twitter to post images of vandalism.

No case has been registered or arrests have been made so far.

Last year too, the first communal attack on Durga Puja started in Kushtia, which later spread across the country. On September 21, 2021, miscreants vandalised all the idols of the under construction Durga Puja mandaps in Aruapara, Kushtia City. The next morning, after learning about the matter, the Mandap committee members reported it to the police. However, the police said that the people involved in the incident could not be identified.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh government has geared up to ensure peaceful Durga Puja celebrations in Comilla city, where marquees were desecrated last year over an alleged blasphemous incident.

The government has suggested that Durga Puja be held inside temples this year for better protection of the idols. Comilla District Collector Md Kamrul Hassan said all precautionary measures are being taken for the peaceful conduct of the festivities.

"We are giving a lot of effort to ensure peaceful celebration of Durga Puja. The Bangladesh government has sent an instruction that all measures be taken to ensure communal harmony during the festivities.

"We have convened a meeting with Durga Puja committees in the district on September 21. Representatives of the administration and police will also take part in it," he told PTI.

Security will be beefed up in the run-up to the celebration that begins on October 1 and the administration is keeping a close watch on the situation, the official said.