Bangladesh: Protests escalate over alleged desecration of Lord Ram’s image

Dhaka, June 20 (IANS) Amid rising concerns over religious intolerance, protests have intensified across Bangladesh over the alleged desecration of an image of Lord Ram by radical Islamists during a demonstration opposing the construction of the tallest statue of the deity in the Gaibandha district, according to local media reports.

As construction of the proposed statue remains on hold, thousands of Hindus marched through Dhaka carrying torches on Friday, chanting “Jai Shri Ram” and seeking action against those allegedly responsible for the desecration.

Taking to his social media platform X, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, editor of the Bangladeshi newspaper Blitz, said, “Hindus in Bangladesh roar against Islamists by chanting the ‘Jay Shri Ram’ slogan! Thousands of Hindus in Bangladesh went into the streets holding torches and chanting the ‘Jay Shri Ram’ slogan against the recent notoriety of Islamists against the Sanatan Complex in the Gaibandha district under the Rangpur division as well as disrespecting the portraits of Lord Ram. They have declared spreading such protest throughout the country and for the first time vowed to fight back.”

The tension came days after Bangladeshi authorities ordered the suspension of the construction of the world’s largest statue of Lord Ram at the Sri Sri Radha Govinda and Kali Temple in Palashbari upazila of Gaibandha district, according to local media reports.

The announcement was made by temple advisor Shyamal Kumar Mahant during a press conference held at the temple auditorium last week.

The decision has sparked strong reactions, with critics alleging that the suspension came under pressure from Islamist groups opposed to the project.

Earlier this week, a group of Dhaka University students organised a torchlight procession and a rally to protest against the alleged desecration of an image of Lord Ram by an Islamist group in Gaibandha.

The protesters called for immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved.

Addressing the gathering, Ram Prasad Saha Topu, social welfare secretary of the Jagannath Hall Students’ Union, described Lord Ram as one of Hinduism’s most revered deities.

“Recently, one extremist group spread rumors involving Lord Ram, and then another extremist group hit the image of our revered deity with shoes. These acts have hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community,” Bangladesh’s leading newspaper, The Daily Star, quoted Topu as saying.

“We want people of all religions and communities to live in harmony. But a certain group is trying to create division among us, and that force must be resisted,” he added.

Recently, the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council also strongly condemned the desecration of Lord Ram’s image, along with threats made against the idol of the deity at the Radha-Gobinda Temple in Palashbari upazila.

The council called on the government of Bangladesh to take immediate and effective measures to curb these communal forces with firmness in order to maintain communal harmony and social stability at both the local and national levels.

It further demanded the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of those involved in the desecration of Lord Ram’s image and other acts of religious insult.

–IANS

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