[Bangla Daily Star] Fanatics vandalised a temple at Munshiganj and set fire to another in Rangpur in the early hours yesterday, creating widespread panic among the local Hindu community.In Munshiganj, myrmidons vandalised five idols at a temple at Shashongaon village of Sirajdikhan upazila on Thursday night.
Locals found the idols, including that of the goddess Kali, totally destroyed when they went to the temple to worship yesterday morning, reports our Munshiganj correspondent.
Md Abul Kashem, upazila nirbahi officer, and Sheikh Mahbubur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Sirajdikhan Police Station, visited the spot.
OC Mahbubur alleged that a gang of myrmidons was attacking the temples in the area to create panic among the Hindus.
He assured the local Hindus that the hunt was on to nab the fanatics.
In Rangpur, myrmidons destroyed the idol of Sree Radha Govinda before setting the temple on fire at Amashu-Kukrul in Rangpur city in the early hours yesterday.
Goutam Roy, of the Burimata Temple Committee, said some fanatics set the tin-shed temple ablaze around 5:30am, leaving the idol and some holy books burnt.
Hearing the crackling of flames, people rushed to the temple and doused the fire, said Kartik Das, a religious leader of the local Hindus.
Abdur Razzak, superintendent of police of Rangpur, told The Daily Star, "We have sent a police team to the area and started an investigation to find out those responsible for the fire."
Haradhan Saha, a ward councillor, alleged that myrmidons set fire to the temple to destroy communal harmony in the area.
Md Shahabuddin Khalifa, officer-in-charge of Rangpur Kotwali Police Station, said "Dhirendra Nath Roy, president of the temple committee, lodged a case against some unnamed myrmidons in connection with the incident."