Dhaka: According to community leaders, minority Hindus in Bangladesh have celebrated their most important religious holiday Durga Puja under a cloud of fear due to a rise in attacks against them by other groups.

“Although the government pledges to provide adequate security annually, there have been attacks in several places. As a result, even this year, “we were in fear and apprehension,” Shikhon Sarkar Shipan, secretary of the Bangladesh Worship Festival Council, told UCA News. Because we could not believe that there would be no attack."

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No major incidents of violence have been reported during this year's Durga Puja celebrations, which end on October 5. However, the government said that due to the increased security of the festival, religious fundamentalists continue to pose a threat to the minorities.

We are aware of the growing communal divide in the country. Religious gatherings require the presence of the police; Otherwise, safety cannot be guaranteed. He warned that if the government did not tighten further, radical forces would take over the country.

The Hindu festival of Durga Puja commemorates the victory of the Hindu goddess Durga over the demonic Mahishasura, symbolizing the victory of good over evil. The 10-day festival takes place in Ashin, the seventh month of the Hindu calendar, which runs from September to October.

After long processions, idols of Durga and other deities are immersed in the rivers on Vijaya Dashami, which marks Durga's return to her home and meeting with her husband, Shiva, an important Hindu deity.

Most Bengali Hindus in Bangladesh and eastern Indian states such as West Bengal and Assam participate in the festival. According to the Puja Utsav Parishad, 32,168 Durga Puja Mandaps (tents) were built across Bangladesh for the festival this year.

On 3 October, Khurshid Hussain, the commander of the Police's Elite Rapid Action Battalion, assured reporters that proper security measures were in place to guarantee everyone's safety. "We monitor the Internet. There is more intelligence monitoring now than ever before," he claimed.

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Hindus from different regions of the country who spoke to UCA News said that stringent security measures have been put in place to prevent any untoward incident and possible attacks. Last year, at least five people were killed in attacks on shrines over alleged insults to the Quran.

Hindu leaders claimed that this year apart from the police, Hindu volunteers in urban and rural areas monitored the pavilions day and night. A Hindu from Sahapara village in Lohagarh district of Narail state claimed that he celebrated the festival out of fear.

Islamists in the village targeted Hindus in July, allegedly because of a Facebook post that hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims. Many Hindu homes, businesses and temples were destroyed or set on fire, displacing hundreds of people.

Though we are celebrating Durga Puja at this place, we do not have peace of mind as we are constantly battling with an unknown fear. Suman Pal, a 25-year-old Hindu villager, told UCA News, “We are celebrating our biggest religious festival in panic, which we should be doing with joy.

Pal claimed that he and 14 youths had slept under guard at the place of worship. We request the Bangladeshi government to protect justice. Other criminals will not have the courage to attack minorities," he continued, if the government can ensure speedy justice.

Hindu groups claim that apart from acts of communal violence, Hindus have been ousted by the stringent Digital Security Act for allegedly hurting religious sentiments of Muslims.

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According to data from the Puja Utsav Parishad, 22 Hindu religious places were attacked this year, and seven members of the minority community were prosecuted or detained under the Digital Security Act for allegedly defaming Muslims. was.

Since 2013, the Ain o Salish Center (Law and Arbitration Center), a Bangladeshi rights organization, has recorded more than 3,600 attacks on minorities, mainly Hindus. According to the population census conducted in 2022, Hindus constitute less than 9% of Bangladesh's population of over 165 million.

According to the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, the Hindu population has declined from 13.5 percent to 8.5 percent in the past 40 years. The primary reasons for the decline in the Hindu population, according to the group, are increased attacks against Hindus and emigration.

According to Father Anthony Sen, convener of the Justice and Peace Commission in Dinajpur diocese, the Catholic diocese welcomed Hindus during the Durga Puja festival and assured them of their support as the community battles radical threats.

"Due to numerous attacks, including the one from last year, Hindus are constantly in fear. I would first place the government at fault for this, followed by bigots. Such incidents wouldn't happen againif the government vigorously pursued justice for earlier assaults, Father Sen told UCA News.