Idols desecrated at 12 temples in Thakurgaon
Unidentified criminals desecrated 14 idols of Hindu gods and goddesses at 12 temples in Thakurgaon's Baliadangi upazila early yesterday.
The temples are located at Shindurpindi, Collegepara, Kamatpara, and Shahbajpur areas in the upazila, said locals and police.
"I have a temple in front of my house. Like every other day, I woke up early in the morning today [Sunday] and went to the temple for prayers. But I found that the idol of goddess Laxmi was vandalised," said Dulal Chandra Singha, 40, a resident of Shindurpindi.
Similarly, Shamvu Ram Singha, 40, of Kamatpara village, said, "The idol of lord Krishna was vandalised in my temple."
Both of them said that the incidents happened sometime between Saturday night and the early hours of yesterday.
"The criminals were very quiet because we did not hear anything," said Dulal.
"There were idols of various gods and goddesses including Saraswati, Laxmi, and Manasha in these temples. The criminals vandalised these idols to intimidate local Hindu communities," said Tapon Kumar Ghosh, general secretary of Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad's Thakurgaon chapter.
"We demand exemplary punishment to the criminals responsible," he told The Daily Star.
Contacted, local MP Md Dabirul Islam, said, "We have a long history of communal harmony existing in our area. But, vested quarters are trying to ruin the peace. We have asked law enforcers and local administration to catch the perpetrators immediately."
On information, the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police visited the spots and assured that the criminals would be brought to book shortly.
A case was filed with Baliadangi Police Station against unnamed criminals in this connection.
"Police are trying to trace the criminals within the shortest possible time," said Khairul Anam, officer-in-charge of Baliadangi Police Station.
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