In a chilling series of attacks that unfolded on 29 November, Hindu temples across Bangladesh have come under brutal assault by radical Islamist groups, further intensifying the ongoing persecution of the Hindu minority in the country. The latest spate of violence follows a destabilizing coup against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government, a development that has left the Hindu community increasingly vulnerable to radical forces and state-sponsored violence.

The attacks, which have become a daily horror for Hindus in Bangladesh, were marked by assaults on several revered Hindu religious sites, including the Shanteshri Matri Temple in Chittagong’s Pathorghata, the Jagatbandhu Ashram Temple in Pathorghata, and two Iskcon Temples in Habiganj and Kishoreganj. The Bhairav Iskcon Temple in Kishoreganj and the Iskcon Temple in Habiganj were also targeted in coordinated raids, with radicals damaging sacred idols, setting fire to temple property, and terrorizing the local Hindu community.

The attacks are a part of disturbing pattern of escalating violence against Hindus since the political upheaval began. Radical Islamists have seized upon the power vacuum created by the coup to ramp up their attacks on religious minorities, particularly Hindus.

In addition to the destruction of religious property, reports indicate a chilling rise in the abduction of Hindu girls and women. These women are often forcibly converted to Islam and married off to extremists. In several regions across Bangladesh, Hindu homes and businesses have been burned down, their owners either fleeing or facing brutal reprisals for attempting to protect their livelihoods.

The arrests of prominent Hindu figures such as Adinath Brahmachari and Raghunath Brahmachari have further intensified the climate of fear. These respected community leaders, known for their commitment to preserving Hindu traditions, have been detained by authorities under questionable circumstances, heightening concerns about the growing marginalization of Hindus in the country.

The assault on Hindu temples and the systematic abduction and conversion of Hindu women are a testament to the increasing radicalization of parts of Bangladesh’s political and religious landscape. These incidents also reflect the broader context of the Pak-backed Islamization agenda that has been steadily taking root across the region.

In a harrowing event, Anwar Shah Bora, a grieving father from Mohmand Tehsil in the Ambar district (Khyber-Pakthunkhwa), recounted the brutal attack on his home by a drone. Speaking at the funeral prayer of his baby was martyred in the devastating incident.

Bora revealed that the mortar fire, which rained down on his village, was deliberately aimed at the civilian population, not at any alleged militants or Army personnel. The consistent targets are children, civilians and livestock in these attacks. These strikes, which have become a disturbing pattern in the region, are not aimed at combatants but at the innocent civilians who have already been suffering under the weight of decades of Punjabi Pak Army’s oppression.

In November alone, Punjabi Pak Army’s shelling and mortar fire has claimed the lives of over 10 innocent Pashtun children. These children, the most vulnerable among the population, are repeatedly targeted in these brutal assaults.

The targeted attacks on civilian areas in Pashtun-majority regions like Mohmand are to maintain control over the region through violence and intimidation. The Pashtun population, long subjected to military operations, enforced disappearances, and human rights abuses, finds itself under siege once again as these assaults continue to devastate communities and claim innocent lives.

For the Pashtuns, these attacks are not just acts of war—they are an ongoing struggle for survival in a region where they are treated as collateral damage in a larger geopolitical game.

The ongoing crisis against the Hindu community in Bangladesh is no longer confined to its borders, as the alarming wave of religious intolerance appears to be spilling over into India. In a troubling development, miscreants attacked a Sri Hanuman temple in the Siuri area of Birbhum district, West Bengal, vandalizing the sacred Murti. The incident took place in the Indragachha locality, sending shockwaves through the local Hindu community.

Over the past few months, violence against Hindus in Bangladesh has been escalating, marked by attacks on temples, arson, and the targeting of religious minorities. While the Bangladeshi Hindu community faces unrelenting hostility, similar acts of aggression are now being reported across the border in India. These coordinated attacks indicate a growing network of Islamist extremists and miscreants emboldened by the lack of stringent action by authorities.

West Bengal, which has witnessed rising communal tensions in recent years, is increasingly becoming a hotbed for such incidents, as unchecked Islamist elements target Hindu symbols, places of worship, and communities with impunity.