Random Incidents that took place during
Durga Puja Festivities in 2001

The Durga Puja festivities, celebrating the Hindu Goddess Durga, are a source of great joy for the Hindus of Bengal, particularly the minority Hindu community in Bangladesh. However, with the rapid rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Bangladesh, the Durga Puja festivities have become a horrible nightmare for the minority Hindu community. In recent years, Hindus have been forced to leave their homes on the eve of this auspicious occasion, with Puja Pandals and Durga Puja Mandaps (the setup of the worship services) being frequently destroyed all over Bangladesh.

However this year Durga Pooja was the worst in recent memory. With the election of the right wing Bangladesh National Party and the Islamic fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islamia to power in the September 2001 general elections, life has become worse for the members of the minority communities. Members of the minoriry communities, particularly the Hindu community, have faced the worst levels of violence in recent years, including unprecendented amounts of rape, murder, land-grabbing, etc. The pogroms have displaced hundreds of thousands of Hindus and other minorities, forcing many to flee Bangladesh for neighboring India. To see other incidents that took place in October 2001, please go to the following links: October 2001 (Part one and Part two).

Please read below to see some of the hardships that the minority Bangladeshi Hindu community endured during this period.

October 6, 2001. Narail district (southwest of the capital city of Dhaka). Activists from the newly elected right wing Bangladesh National Party attacked and destroyed the Hindu religious icons of the Goddess Durga along with the decorated festive pandals at Nirali and Hadiakhali villages.

October 8, 2001. Kishoreanj district (northeast of the capital city of Dhaka). Islamic reactionaries from the newly elected right wing Bangladesh National Party destroyed the Hindu religious icons of the Goddess Durga at the Modakpara Ashram.

October 10, 2001. Pafpatti area, Netrakona district (in northern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of Meghalaya). Hindu religious icons of the Goddess Durga being used in the Hindu religious pandals were destroyed by a group of Islamic fundamentalists.

October 13, 2001. Madhya baniari village, Pirojpur district (in southern Bangladesh bordering the Bay of Bengal). Eighty homes belonging to members of the Hindu minority community were looted and ransacked by Islamic fundamentalists from the reactionary Jamaat-e-Islami. Durga Puja pandals were destroyed during the incident.

October 14, 2001. Pinkkandi Bazar, Narsingdi district (northwest of the capital city of Dhaka). Zijyia tax (an extortion tax imposed by Muslim fundamentalists upon non-Muslims) was forcefully obtained from the local villagers. Hindu religious icons of the Goddess Durga were destroyed. Manahar Biswas was seriously injured during the incident.

October 14, 2001. Rangunia Sub-district, Raujan, Chittagong district (in southeastern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of Tripura). Hindu religious icons of the Goddess Durga were destroyed by Islamic fundamentalists in the Ramkrishna Sevasram in Santiniketan. Zijyia tax (an extortion tax imposed by Muslim fundamentalists upon non-Muslims) was levied and fatwas (Decrees imposed by Islamic clergy) were issued against Durga pujas taking place in several village of Kadamtali, Santiniketan, Shiloc, Pomra, Padua, Chikdair, Dewanpur, Dabua, Binajuri, Noapara, Gujra, Bagaon and Koepara.

October 18, 2001. Dhaka (capital city of Bangladesh). Muslim fundamentalists threw pieces of beef and hung a piece of beef at a local pandal at Nabendra Basak Lane, where the Hindu Goddess Devi Bhagwati was being worshipped.

October 18, 2001. Kamari village. The Puja Pandal and the Hindu religious icon of Goddess Durga in Ganesh Basak’s home were destroyed by Islamic fundamentalists.

October 18, 2001. Durgapur area, Bagura district. Hindu religious icons of Goddess Durga were destroyed by Islamic fundamentalists.

October 20, 2001. Raghunathpur Paruapara in Gopalganj district (southwest of the capital city of Dhaka). Muslim reactionaries destroyed the Hindu religious icons of Goddess Durga.

October 20, 2001. Palashbari subdivision, Gaibandha district (in northern Bangladesh near the Indian states of Assam and West Bengal). Islamic fundamentalists destroyed all of the Hindu religious icons of Goddess Durga in the local Hindu Kalitala Durga temple.

October 20, 2001. Brahmabaria district (in eastern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of Tripura). Muslim reactionaries set the Hindu religious icons of Goddess Durga ablaze at Chandidwar Kasba.

October 21, 2001. Hawaldarpara, Sirajganj district (northwest of the capital city of Dhaka). Under the leadership of the notorious Islamic reactionary, Mohammad Hakim, a group of Islamic fundamentalists destroyed Hindu religious icons of Goddess Durga created for the Durga Puja festival.

October 21, 2001. Puruadhola subdivision, Netrakona district (in northern Bangladesh bordering the Indian state of Meghalaya). Right wing Muslim reactionaries destroyed Hindu religious icons of Goddess Durga located in the Hindu homes of the area.