Drunken youths vandalise Hindu temple in Bangladesh
By IANSTuesday, September 14, 2010
CHITTAGONG - Six drunken young men vandalised a Hindu temple in Gosaildanga here, provoking protests by the minority community, a newspaper reported Tuesday.
The incident occurred Saturday when the majority Muslims were observing Eid-ul-Fitr, which coincided with the Ganesh festival celebrated by the Hindus.
Led by Mohammed Masud, resident of the neighbouring Muslim-majority area, the youths stormed into the temple in the port city Saturday night. They smashed several idols, including those of Lord Narayana, and broke utensils there.
Thousands of Hindus of the area took out a procession demanding arrest of those responsible for the vandalism, the New Age newspaper said.
Mihir Das, joint general secretary of Gosaildanga Shwashan Kalibari Temple Committee, told online newspaper bdnews24.com: “Five to six drunken youths led by gangster Masud of the neighbouring area vandalised the temple.”
Bandar police station officer-in-charge Rejaul Karim and local ward councillor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury rushed to the spot.
Hindus constitute less than ten percent of Bangladesh’s predominantly Muslim population of 156 million.
