The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) on Saturday alleged that its centre in Dhaka district, Bangladesh was burnt down on Saturday.
ISKCON also alleged that the deities in the temple were also burned down completely.
Radharamn Das, ISKCON Kolkata vice president told PTI that the "vandals set ablaze idols inside the temple at the Namhatta property."
Another ISKCON Namhatta Centre burned down in Bangladesh. The Deities of Sri Sri Laxmi Narayan and all items inside the temple, were burned down completely 😭. The center is located in Dhaka. Early morning today, between 2-3 AM, miscreants set fire to the Shri Shri Radha Krishna… pic.twitter.com/kDPilLBWHK
— Radharamn Das राधारमण दास (@RadharamnDas) December 7, 2024
In a post on X, Das said, "ISKCON Namhatta Centre burned down in Bangladesh. The deities of Sri Sri Laxmi Narayan and all items inside the temple were burned down completely...miscreants set fire to the Shri Shri Radha Krishna Temple and the Shri Shri Mahabhagya Lakshmi Narayan Temple, which fall under the Hare Krishna Namhatta Sangha in Dhour village."
VIDEO | "I am very shocked to receive the message that today, between 2 am and 3 am, miscreants attacked one of our ISKCON centres in Dhaka, threw petrol and burned the temple. The deities - Shri Shri Radha Krishna and Shri Shri Lakshmi Narayan - there were damaged. This is very… pic.twitter.com/4uR7oW3iNL
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 7, 2024
The incident took place around 3 am in the morning, he noted.
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"The fire was initiated by lifting the tin roof at the back of the temple and using petrol or octane," he added.
Despite raising concerns with the interim government over the rising attacks against the Hindus, not much is being done by the administration and the police officials, said Das.
Earlier, ISKCON urged monks and followers from Bangladesh not to wear 'tilaks' and to practice their faith discreetly.
Since the ouster of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, attacks against minorities have been increasing in the country. The arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das worsened the situation. Widespread protests erupted in different parts of the country following Das's arrest.
A lawyer was killed amid the clashes between the protesters and security personnel after Das's arrest.
West Bengal BJP president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar condemned the arson attack on the ISKCON Namhatta Centre in Dhaka. "This is an unforgivable act of hatred against a place of worship. Immediate action must be taken to bring the culprits to justice," he said.
India has also expressed concerns in the wake of the rising attacks against minorities in Bangladesh. India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri is scheduled to visit Dhaka on December 9 amid the strained ties. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that he is visiting the country for “structured interactions” from India’s side.
