Dhaka:
Bangladesh and its erstwhile avatar East Pakistan has had a shameful recent history of jihadi violence and attacks against the Hindu minority.
Following the Partition horror of 1946-47, a series of communal riots in the 1950s and 1960s drove away a large section of the then sizeable Hindu minority to the adjoining Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura and Assam.
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The genocide of the local Bengali population by the Pakistan Army and Razakar forces (mainly Bihari Muslim refugees of Partition) compounded the miseries of the local Hindus.
Sadly, the assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975 was followed by a resurgence of jihadi forces in Bangladesh whose venomous attitude towards India was accompanied by cowardly violence against helpless local Hindus.
The Hindu temples of Bangladesh, the priceless religious, historical and cultural heritage of the greater Bengal region, have been victims of this mindless jihadi violence by Islamist forces hell-bent on destroying the original religion and culture of the land.
Let us take a look at some of the temples which have been attacked over the last few decades in Bangladesh.
Kal Bhairab Temple:
Dedicated to God Shiva, the
Kal Bhairab Temple, which is
located in the Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh, is famed for its giant Shivalinga and a 28-feet tall Shiva statue.
The Lord
Shiva
idol, which was built more than 200 years ago, was damaged by the Pakistan Army in 1971.
The soldiers damaged parts of the Lord
Shiva
idol with dynamite. The Lord
Shiva
statue was rebuilt later.
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Pancha Ratna Shiva Temple:
Also known as Bhubaneswar Shiva Mandir, the
Pancha Ratna Shiva Temple
is located in the Rajshahi district of Bangladesh. It is said to be the largest temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in Bangladesh.
The stone carvings and sculptural works which decorate this historic Lord Shiva temple were disfigured by the Pakistan Army during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.
The soldiers of the Pakistan Army also attempted to displace and break the Shiva Linga but were unable to move it from its position.
Puthia Temple Complex:
Consisting of a cluster of notable old Hindu temples in the Rajshahi district of Bangladesh, the
Puthia Temple Complex
has the largest number of historic temples in Bangladesh.
The temples have been in a neglected condition over the last several decades since the administration of former East Pakistan
abolished the zamindary system and confiscated all Hindu properties.
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Pancha Ratna Govinda Temple:
The grand
Pancha Ratna Govinda Temple
was built in the middle of the nineteenth century by the royal family of Puthia. The temple’s survival is threatened by the newly established college nearby and the lack of conservation efforts.
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