Hindus, Temples targeted in Bangladesh

Dozens of Hindu temples and and hundreds of homes have been vandalised in Bangladesh since the verdict against an Islamic leader last month. The violence erupted after Delwar Hossain Sayedee was sentenced to death for war crimes committed during 1971 independence.

Bangladesh Puja Udjapon Parishad, a Hindu group, said that at least 47 temples and 700 Hindu houses had been torched since the verdict against the Islamic leader, who was the vice-president of Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh’s Islamic party. He was convicted and sentenced to death on February 28 for heinous crimes that included rape and murder.

The verdict against Sayedee sparked violence in which 85 people have been killed so far.

The Hindu organisation condemned the attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh and held Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir responsible for spreading violence against minority group.

The ongoing unrest also raised question on the efficiency of the government to protect the minorities in the country. The minorities are being targeted and their houses and worship places. However, the government and police seem to have failed to control the violence.

The Hindus are only 10% of Bangladesh’s 153-million population. The Amnesty International has appealed to the government to protect the minorities in Bangladesh.