The Indian External Affairs Ministry has deplored the attack on Puja Mandap and desecration and damage to Hindu temples in Bangladesh.
“We have noted with serious concern the attack on a Puja mandap in Tantibazar, Dhaka and the theft at the revered Jeshoreshwari Kali temple at Satkhira,” the ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
“These are deplorable events. They follow a systematic pattern of desecration and damage to temples and deities that we have witnessed over several days now.
“We call upon the Government of Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of Hindus and all minorities and their places of worship, especially during this auspicious festival time,” read the statement.
Police on Saturday arrested four individuals in connection with the theft of the gold crown from the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple in the Shyamnagar upazila of Satkhira. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted the gold crown during his visit in 2021.
The identities of the arrested individual are yet to be disclosed.
Earlier in the day, the temple's priest, Jyoti Prakash Chattopadhyay, filed a case at Shyamnagar police station in this connection.
Meanwhile, two days have passed since the incident, but the crown has not been recovered, leading to increasing frustration among local residents.
No worship has taken place at the temple since the theft.
In a separate incident, five people were injured in an attack during a snatching attempt at a Puja mandap in the old town's Tanti Bazar area of the capital on Friday night.
With the help of local residents, the police detained three suspected snatchers from the spot.
From the detained individuals, a knife, a chain, and a bottle filled with a liquid substance were recovered from the scene.
