2013 Bangladesh anti-Hindu violence refers to riots and attacks of vandalism on and Hindu temples and properties, during the 2013 Bangladesh violence.
These attacks began on 28 February 2013, after the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, the vice-president of the Jamaat-e-Islami to death for war crimes committed during the 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence. Following the sentence, Hindus were attacked in different parts of the country. Hindu properties were looted, Hindu houses were burnt into ashes and temples were desecrated and set on fire.
While Jamaat-e-Islami was blamed for the violence, Hindu community leaders said the attacks were not only carried out by hardline Islamists but also by supporters of other mainstream political parties, including the Awami League and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Background
On 28 February 2013, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, the vice-president of the Jamaat-e-Islami to death for war crimes committed during the 1971 Bangladesh War of Independence. Following the sentence, activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir attacked Hindus in different parts of the country. Hindu properties were looted, Hindu houses were burnt into ashes and Hindu temples were desecrated and set on fire.
Attacks According to community leaders, more than 50 Hindu temples and 1,500 Hindu homes were destroyed in 20 districts. While Jamaat-e-Islami was blamed for the violence, Hindu community leaders said the attacks were systematic and had been going on for years. They say they are not only carried out by hardline Islamists but also by supporters of other mainstream political parties, including the Awami League and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Barisal Division In Barisal District, a Hindu temple was set on fire in Nalchira Union of Gaurnadi Upazila. The Pinglakathi Sarbajaneen Durga Mandir was vandalised. On 5 March, miscreants tried to set fire to the Guthia Sarbajaneen Kali Mandir under Guthia union in Wazirpur Upazila. On the early hours of 6 March, a Kali temple was vandalised in Pakshia Union under Burhanuddin Upazila in Bhola District. The images of Kali and Mahadev were destroyed. In the evening at around 7:30 pm, a Radha Krishna temple was set on fire in Batajor Village under Bamna Upazila in Barguna District. On 12 March at around 2:45 am, two Hindu houses on New Vatikhana Road in Barisal were set ablaze by unknown criminals. Locals doused the flames before spreading. In the early hours, burglars broke open a Radha Govinda temple in Kuripaika village of Patuakhali Sadar Upazila in Patuakhali District and stole the Madanmohan idol and 2.5 bharis of gold. On 4 April, a Hindu temple at Kathalia Upazila under Jhalokati District was burned down.
Chittagong Division In Noakhali District several Hindu homes and temples came under the attack of the Islamists. On the morning of 28 February, the activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir began to gather near Rajganj Bazar in Begumganj Upazila. At around 2 pm, immediately after the verdict, the activists armed with sticks, started a procession in protest against the verdict. The procession vandalised the Kali temple at Rajganj Bazar and the temple near Bainnabari. Then they attacked the Hindus in nearby Tongipar and Aladinagar villages. They vandalised eight Hindu households and looted all the valuables including money and jewellery. The temple of Bhuiyan house in Tongipar village was vandalised. Six people were injured in the attacks. The violence continued in phases till the evening. Around 6–30 p.m. Rapid Action Battalion was deployed to bring the situation under control. On 23 March, Islamic extremists vandalised and looted a temple at Companiganj Upazila On 26 March, miscreants set fire in a Hindu house at Zirtali union belonging to Begamganj Upazila.
In Lakshmipur District, five Hindu-owned jewellery shops were looted and one Hindu temple attacked and looted in Chandraganj. After the midnight of 28 February, one Hindu temple has been on fire in Gaiyarchar in Raipur Upazila. The police prevented the rioters from setting fire to another temple. Two Hindu monasteries were set on fire. On 1 March, the miscreants set fire to a Hindu house in Char Sita area of Ramgati Upazila. On 11 May, Miscreants set fire on a Hindu Temple at Ramganj Upazila.
On 28 February, in the afternoon Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir activists attacked the Hindus in Chittagong District. In Banshkhali Upazila, the attackers set fire to Hindus houses in Dakshin Jaldi area of Jaldi Union. 20 houses were gutted. 16 Hindus were injured in the arson, two of the died. A 65-year-old Hindu was killed in the attacks. On early morning of 5 March at around 2–30 a.m., the Sarbajaneen Magadeshwari Mandir at East Rupkania of Satkania Upazila was torched. At around 3:30 am the Khetrapal Temple was burned to ashes and money from donation box was looted.
In Cox's Bazar, the Jamaat activists destroyed three Hindu temples. In Kutubdia Upazila, thousands of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir activists gathered before the Upazila Parishad office around 9 pm. Around 10 p.m. they set fire to Hindu temples, after vandalising government offices and an Awami League party office.
In Comilla District, image of a Hindu deity was vandalised in Brahmanpara Upazila. On 1 March at around 11 pm, eleven shops including four owned by the Hindus were set on fire in Kheora Bazar in Kasba Upazila of Brahmanbaria District. On the early morning of 6 March, some time after 2:30 a.m., unidentified miscreants set fire to Sarbajanin Kali Mandir after vandalising five idols at Chapatali village under Mohammadpur East Union in Daudkandi Upazila of the district.
In Rangamati District, Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh activists set fire in a temple at Bagahichari Upazila on 28 March.
Dhaka Division On 3 March, in Lohajang Upazila of Munshiganj District a Kali Temple was set on fire by arsonits. On the same day, in Kotalipara Upazila of Gopalganj District, a Hindu temple is burnt down. Six people including a Jamaat leader were arrested on charges of torching this temple. Early in the morning on 6 March, Ananda Ashram Mandir of Fulbaria village under the Ballabhdi Union in Faridpur District was set on fire. On 8 March, Islamist extremists vandalised a Kali Temple at Sashangaon village under Sirajdikhan Upazila in Munshiganj District. On 11 March, a temple at Fulbaria Upazila in Mymensingh District was vandalised. Six idols were destroyed at Kafilabari Durga temple in Kotalipara Upazila of Gopalganj at the same night. On the night of 15 March, unidentified miscreants vandalised the image of Saraswati in a 77-year-old Hindu temple in Madhabpur area of Sherpur municipality in Sherpur District.
On 18 March, seven idols in Harimandir in Netrokona Sadar upazila's Bobahala have been desecrated by smashing them to pieces. On the same day in Gazipur District, the attackers damaged six idols in a Hindu temple at Dakhkhin Marta of Sreepur. On 22 March, unidentified miscreants set fire to a Lakshmi temple at Gazipur Sadar Upazila in Gazipur District.
On 2 April, the largest Hindu temple at Bhuiyanpur upazila in Tangail District was set on fire.
On 5 April, unidentified miscreants vandalised the Kali Mandir, Panchmandir and Shiv Mandir in Mirzapur of Tangail District. On the same day a Hindu temple was vandalised at Rajoir under Madaripur District during the clash of two political parties. On 19 April, Unidentified miscreants torched a Hindu temple at Mahendri village in Rajoir upazila of Madaripur District.
On 8 April, a Hindu temple in Jamalpur District was vandalised . On the same day, a Hindu temple at Fulbaria under Mymensingh District was vandalised .
Khulna Division On the night of 28 February, miscreants vandalised a Hindu temple in Pingjour village under Chingrikhali Union in Morrelganj Upazila of Bagerhat District. The Dumuria Sharbajaneen temple under Ramachandrapur Union too was set on fire. Two Hindu houses, one belonging to a local Awami League leader, were set on fire in Banogram Union. On 3 April, Miscreants torched a Hindu temple after vandalism of its three idols of god and goddess in the same place again. In Satkhira, Jamaat and Shibir rioters attacked Hindu houses and business establishments. In Kadamtala, City College More and Abader Hat areas of Satkhira municipality more than hundred Hindu residences and business establishments were looted and destroyed. The District Magistrate of Satkhira District promulgated Section 144 in Satkhira and certain areas of Assasuni Upazila. On 5 March, Jamaat-Shibir and BNP rioters set eight Hindu houses on fire in Khulna. On 12 March around midnight, miscreants vandalised 23 idols of Shiva at a temple at the Angita cremation ground in Kaliganj Upazila of Jhenaidah District.
On 18 March, more than 150 armed assailants attacked and vandalised the Pabla Sarbajanin Kalibari Temple in Khulna city's Banikpara around 9:30 pm. After blasting incendiaries, they ransacked the houses and shops of Hindus in the area.
Rajshahi Division On 7 March, an idol of the Hindu Goddess Kali was destroyed and a Hindu temple was set on fire at Hatibandha Upazila of Lalmonirhat. Early in the morning on 3 March at around 3 am, unidentified miscreants set fire to the Sarbajanin Puja Sangha Mandir in the Natun Alidanga Bara Pekurtala locality of Shibganj municipality under Shibganj Upazila in Chapainawabganj District. A portion of the temple was gutted in the fire. After the incident, the local Hindus were living in fear. On the night of 12 March, miscreants broke into a Hari temple in Pakuria village under Singra Upazila of Natore District and destroyed the idol. On 19 March, idols were desecrated in four Hindu temples of Gabtali Upazila in Bogra District.
Rangpur Division On 28 February, activists of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir attacked a Hindu temple and destroyed Hindu-owned business establishments in Gaibandha District. In the evening, they vandalised some houses in the Shobhaganj Union. The Hindu community leaders complained that the attackers had vandalised the central Kali temple at Mithapukur Upazila in Rangpur District.
Shortly after the midnight of 2 March, around 30–40 miscreants, shouting abuses and threatening the Hindus, attacked their homes at Uttar Maheshpur village in Raniganj area of Dinajpur Sadar Upazila of Dinajpur District. They set fire to the homes and haystacks of 12 Hindu peasant families, as they barely managed to escape alive. At around 1 a.m. two fire brigade units from Dinajpur arrived and doused the fire. By that time, the homes were completely reduced to ashes. Jamat-Shibir activists also blocked the Joypurhat-Bogra highway for three hours.
On 5 March, the Sree Sree Shoshan Kali Mandir at Rotherpar village in Aditmari upazila of Lalmonirhat District was vandalised. On 7 March, fire was set to a Hindu temple after destroying goddess Kali idol at Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat. Sree Sree Kali Mandir at Bejgram village was also burnt down at night.
On 8 March, a Radha Gobinda temple is burnt down in Rangpur city.
Sylhet Division On 12 March, miscreants set fire around a temple at Juri Upazila in Maulvi Bazar District. But the people living around the temple quickly took the fire under control.
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