Another Hindu temple attacked in Netrokona, one detained

A Hindu temple in Netrokona has been vandalised amid a spate of attacks on Hindu homes and temples across Bangladesh in the past few days.

Police detained a man during the attack on the temple at the town's Satpai neighbourhood early on Saturday morning.

The man nabbed has been identified as 40-year-old Sumon Islam, from Narsingdi.

Early on Thursday, a temple at a Hindu house in the district's Kalmakanda Upazila was vandalised.

Authorities of the temple attacked on Saturday said the incident took place early morning.

“We immediately gathered a group of locals and proceeded to the scene. We were able to capture one of the attackers while they were trying to start a fire” said the temple committee's General Secretary Animesh Sarkar.

 About four other attackers fled from the spot, he said.

 Police said three to four men broke into the temple around 5:30am in the morning before vandalising the idols inside and setting fire.

 "A teenager witnessed the incident and informed locals. They then managed to nab one of the perpetrators while the others fled," Netrakona police OC Abu Taher Dewan told the media.

 Deputy Commissioner Mushfiqur Rahman and Superintendent of Police Jaydev Chowdhury visited the scene. Police are starting a case, said OC Dewan.

“One after another Hindu homes and temples are being attacked. The violence just seems to continue,” said the district’s Puja Celebration Committee Chairperson Mongol Saha Ray. “It is extremely distressing.”

Vandals had attacked a family temple at a village in Netrakona’s Kalmakanda Upazila sometime between Thursday night and Friday morning.

 A series of attacks on Hindu homes and temples have occurred in Brahmanbaria, Jessore, Barisal, Faridpur, Thakurgaon, Bogra and other places across the country in recent days.

 A local BNP leader in Thakurgaon district has been detained by police in connection with the attacks there.

 As many as 44 people have been arrested until Friday morning over the Oct 30 attacks in Brahmanbaria’s Nasirnagar Upazila, when at least 15 temples and over hundred Hindu houses were attacked.