DHAKA, Bangladesh—On June 26, 2025, the Khilkhet Sarbajanin Durga Mandir, a sacred Hindu temple in Dhaka, was demolished by Bangladesh Railway authorities, backed by the Army, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and police. Without prior notice, sacred idols of Goddess Durga, Kali, and Shiva were crushed under bulldozers, igniting outrage among Bangladesh’s Hindu minority. This act, enabled by the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, is part of a broader campaign of violence against religious minorities, violating Bangladesh’s Constitution, international law, and the United Nations’ human rights protocols. The United States, India, and the United Nations must act to hold Bangladesh accountable and protect its vulnerable communities.
A Temple Razed, A Community Betrayed
The demolition followed a June 23 mob attack by over 500 extremists who surrounded the temple, demanding its removal while worshippers cowered inside. “We will return and destroy this temple unless it is removed,” they threatened, per New Age. Instead of safeguarding the Hindu community, the state responded with bulldozers, razing the temple without warning or consultation. Arjun Roy, temple committee secretary, told ANI, “They demolished everything without notice. We are heartbroken.” A local Hindu woman added, “We have no place to pray. If thousands of mosques stand, why can’t one temple?”
Bangladesh Railway claimed the temple was an “unauthorized structure” on railway land, citing Ordinance 24 of 1970. Yet, the temple had permission for Durga Puja rituals in 2024, undermining claims of illegality. In Hindu tradition, idols consecrated through Pran Pratishtha embody divine presence, making their destruction a profound act of spiritual violence. The absence of religious protocols, such as Visarjan (deactivation), amplifies the offense.
A Pattern of Persecution
Since the Awami League’s fall in August 2024, Bangladesh’s religious minorities—Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, and indigenous groups—have faced relentless attacks. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council reports 2,010 attacks on minority homes, businesses, and temples, including 69 temples vandalized between August 4 and 20, 2024. The Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM) documents dozens of cases of forced conversions, sexual violence against minority women, and mob intimidation, with police often complicit. Over 10 months, over 200 Hindu and Christian temples have been desecrated, dozens of Hindus killed, and 3,000 minority properties attacked.
A chilling example occurred in Dinajpur, where the Mahastri Manasa and Durga Temple’s idols were beheaded, a deliberate act of humiliation. India’s Ministry of External Affairs condemned the Khilkhet demolition as state-enabled persecution, stating, “The interim government projected the episode as illegal land use, allowing its destruction.”
The demolition violates Bangladesh’s Constitution and international law. Article 28 of the Constitution prohibits discrimination based on religion, caste, or creed, mandating equal protection. Article 41 guarantees the right to practice and propagate religion. By enabling the temple’s destruction and failing to protect it from extremist threats, the state breached these provisions.
Priya Saha
Priya Saha is the Executive Director of Human Rights Congress for Bangladesh Minorities (HRCBM). HRCBM is an NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
