What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
By Tanmay Majumdar, General Secretary, Bogura Majumdarpara Temple Committee
Durga Puja is a celebration of faith, dignity and the triumph of good over evil. Yet, for us, preparing for Durga Puja has become a fearful exercise.
By 9th October, our arrangements were nearly complete. Alarmed by repeated attacks on Durga idols across Bangladesh, we began guarding our puja mandap from 4th October and installed CCTV cameras. On 8th October, we temporarily disconnected them for urgent cleaning inside the camera room. On the morning of 10th October, Kanon Rani, who cleans the temple complex, discovered that the idols of Ganesh, Maa Lakshmi and Kartik had been vandalised.
We suspect those responsible, but the perpetrators have not been apprehended. The police have inspected the damage. What remains unanswered is whether justice will follow.
This attack cannot be viewed in isolation from the intimidation our family has endured. My family donated land for a high school, a primary school and an Idgah. Today, we face attempts to displace us from our ancestral property. My father was previously attacked and I have been threatened with being hacked to death. Even after filing a General Diary Entry (GDE), we have yet to see decisive action. We are repeatedly told to go to India.
At approximately 12:51 p.m. on 10th October, I received a threatening call from +880 1761-872699. I was warned that if we said anything deemed undesirable, we would be jailed instead. I fear this is an attempt to silence us from speaking about an attack on a Hindu place of worship.
Since when did reporting vandalism become a punishable offence? Since when must a citizen choose between surrendering ancestral land and fleeing the country?
We demand an impartial investigation, the identification and prosecution of those responsible and protection for our family and temple.
