Bangladesh Govt needs assuage sense of insecurity among minorities: ISKCON

The International Society For Krishna Consciousness on Saturday requested the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh to take measures "to assuage the sense of insecurity among minorities" in the neighbouring country in the aftermath of a case of felling of a wall at ISKCON Radhhakanta temple in Dhaka on the eve of Dol Jatra (Holi) celebrations.

However, the Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council which investigated the incident described the wall felling at the ISKCON temple by a mob as the result of a long festering property dispute with locals.

ISKCON Kolkata chapter vice president Radharaman Das told PTI that the Awami League government has posted armed policemen to protect the temple compound.

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Condemning the incident, Das said “There should be long-term visible steps to ensure that minorities, including Hindus, are not subjected to regular attacks and their places of worship vandalised.” The alleged attack which demolished a disputed wall at the ISKCON temple in Wari, Dhaka occurred on Thursday evening.

"This trend has been seen in recent times during important festivals like Durga Puja and the administration in Bangladesh must address the concerns of the members of the community about being systematically targeted by fundamentalists."

Das tweeted "for how long can a temple of minorities of Bangladesh do their Puja under police protection? There is need to address the roots of the problem, which is the poisoning of young minds."

The general secretary of `Hindu Bouddha Christian Oikyo Parishad’ (Bangladesh Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council) Rana Dasgupta, who visited the spot on March 18, told PTI telephonically that there has been a long-standing boundary wall dispute between the temple authorities and a section of locals.

However, he also said, "It is also true that a mob of 100-150 assembled at the temple area (on March 17 night). The boundary wall caved in but we don't know how. "Now it is for you to conclude whether this was an incident triggered by land dispute or there were communal overtones to it.”

There has been a sense of insecurity among minorities for years in Bangladesh though there has been improvement in many areas during the reign of the Awami League government, he said.

“However, every positive promise it made has not been translated into demonstrative action,” Dasgupta said. The council is a platform of 31 organisations in the neighbouring country.

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