New Delhi: In the midst of ongoing turmoil in Bangladesh following the resignation and departure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, an ISKCON temple in Meherpur, Khulna division was desecrated and set on fire. This incident is part of a larger surge in violence that has seen numerous Hindu temples across the country targeted and attacked over the past 24 hours, as unrest continues to spread.Yudhistir Govinda Das, a spokesperson for ISKCON, verified the incident, revealing that the organizations rented center in Meherpur was set on fire destroying the deities of Lord Jagannath, Baladev, and Subhadra Devi. Fortunately, three devotees who resided at the center managed to escape the inferno and survived the attack. Attacks on temples and cultural centreThe ouster of Hasina has created a perilous environment for religious minorities in Bangladesh, with Hindu temples being attacked amidst the ongoing turmoil. At least four Hindu temples were targeted on Monday, sustaining minor damages, according to Kajol Debnath, leader of the Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, who spoke to news agency PTI.In addition to the temple attacks, an Indian cultural centre in Dhaka was also vandalized by a rampaging mob, resulting in damage to the facility.The Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, which fosters cultural exchange between India and Bangladesh, fell victim to the violence, suffering damage to its premises.Watch video: This video was live on Facebook by Sumohan Mukund Das, director of Meherpur ISKCON Prachar Kendra in #Bangladesh .He said, Meherpur ISKCON Temple has been vandalized and set on fire by miscreants. Everything has been burnt to ashes. Me and devotees have been attacked in our… pic.twitter.com/ywp5jASp92— Sourish Mukherjee (@me_sourish_) August 6, 2024Army chief announces interim governmentIn the capital, demonstrators ignited fires at several significant sites, including Bangabandhu Bhaban, the former residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladeshs founding father and former president, who is also the father of Sheikh Hasina.Initially, protests erupted over demands to abolish a quota system for civil service jobs, but they intensified into calls for Sheikh Hasinas resignation after violent confrontations between protesters and her Awami League party supporters resulted in hundreds of fatalities.Facing immense pressure from the massive protests, Sheikh Hasina secretly resigned and fled the country on Monday. In response, General Waqar-Uz-Zaman, the army chief, announced the formation of an interim government and urged protesters to end the violence, seeking to restore calm.
