‘Systematic pattern’: India condemns damage to Hindu temples, deities in Bangladesh amid Durga Puja festivities

India issued a statement on Saturday, calling upon the Bangladesh government “to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all minorities and their places of worship, especially during this auspicious festival time.”

The statement by the Ministry of External Affairs came in the wake of the attack on a Puja mandap in Tantibazar, Dhaka and the theft at the Jeshoreshwari Kali temple at Satkhira.

The weeklong festival of Durga Puja, that ends in the Muslim-majority Bangladesh on Sunday with immersions of the Hindu Goddess, has strained the Hindu community. There have been reports of vandalism, violence and intimidation in parts of Bangladesh. Hindus make up about 8 percent of the country's nearly 170 million people, or more than 13 million people, the Associated Press reported.

According to reports, the crown gifted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 2021 Bangladesh visit was stone from the Kali temple on Thursday. Later on Friday night, a firebomb was reportedly thrown at the Hindu Goddess at a temple in Dhaka’s Tantibazar area, creating panic among the devotees who thronged the temple.

"These are deplorable events. They follow a systematic pattern of desecration and damage to temples and deities that we have witnessed over several days now," the external affairs ministry said in the statement on Friday.

Earlier on Friday, the ministry said that India is deeply disturbed by the reported incident of theft of a religious article from a temple in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, the High Commission of India in Bangladesh expressed deep concern and urged the Government of Bangladesh to investigate the theft.

"We have seen reports of theft of the crown gifted by PM Modi to Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple (Satkhira) in 2021 during his visit to We express deep concern & urge Govt of Bangladesh to investigate theft, recover the crown & take action against the perpetrators," the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh wrote on X.