Bangladeshi Hindus' Massive Protest

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Protest over damage of idol of Durga

Sunday, October 17,2004

DHAKA: Unidentified elements damaged the idols of goddess Durga at a

temple and a house in Kamargaon union of Tanore upazila on Friday

night, triggering massive protests by the Hindus.

 

They demonstrated in front of the upazila nirbahi officer's (UNO)

office and Tanore Police Station yesterday, demanding immediate

arrest of the culprits.

 

They will refrain from celebrating their greatest festival -- Durga

Puja -- if the miscreants are not brought to book, they said.

 

The gang burst into Parossya Durga Temple at Kamargaon at the dead

of night when the caretakers and idol makers were asleep. They

damaged the idol of Durga and other idols, mostly by breaking their

heads.

 

Later, they went to nearby Durgapur village, damaged some idols of

Durga kept on the premises of the house of Sukesh Kumar Pramanik and

fled, sources said.

 

UNO Abdul Mannan and upazila Puja Udjapon Committee President

Narayan Chandra Biswas visited the spots and asked local people to

help maintain a congenial atmosphere.

 

Mannan told newsmen security was beefed up following the incident

and police were asked to nab the culprits as soon as possible. "No-

one has seen the attackers," he said.

 

Ramkomol Saha, a representative of Parossya Temple, filed a case

without accusing anyone.

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