Police find no evidence of deliberate plot behind 34 Puja incidents
Police have said field-level verification of 34 incidents, including six involving idol damage, vandalism and clashes ahead of Durga Puja, found no evidence that they were deliberately orchestrated to undermine communal harmony, target religious minorities or disrupt the festival.
The statement, posted on Bangladesh Police’s official facebook page, followed media reports citing complaints from Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and the Mahanagar Sarbojanin Puja Committee that incidents of attacks, idol vandalism and theft at temples had occurred at 34 locations ahead of Durga Puja.
According to the police statement, verification identified different causes behind the incidents, including internal leadership disputes, theft by habitual or professional thieves, disagreements over the distribution of government funds, accidental damage and alleged vandalism by individuals described by local residents as mentally unstable.
Police highlighted six incidents in Narayanganj, Mymensingh, Pabna, Thakurgaon and Tangail to support its findings.
At around 2:30 pm on October 16, the right hand of a demon figure accompanying an idol was slightly damaged while the idol was being unloaded from a vehicle for installation at Ramchandradi Madhya Monipara Sarbojanin Durga Puja Mandap in Araihazar, Narayanganj.
The temporary venue falls under Durga Puja Mandap Centre No. 19. According to local accounts, the damage occurred accidentally due to carelessness during unloading.
Mandap president Mohan Bashi Das and general secretary Rajib Chandra Das confirmed the minor damage. A general diary (GD) was filed at Araihazar Police Station on October 17 (No. 950).
At around 4:00 pm on October 5, an argument broke out between the family of Pallab Das and their neighbour, Jibon Rishi, in Rishipara under Kotwali Police Station in Mymensingh.
The dispute reportedly concerned the picking of betel nuts.
At around 5:55 pm, Jibon Rishi, his son Jayanta and his nephew Raymohan allegedly threw stones at the opposing family. Moyna Rani Das, 58, was injured, while parts of a Ganesh idol kept in front of a mandap for painting were damaged.
Mandap president Nripendra Das and general secretary Parimal Chandra Das said the incident stemmed from a longstanding dispute between the two families.
A GD was filed at Kotwali Police Station on October 5.
At around 11:00 am on October 15, a woman reportedly tore the canopy of the Durga Puja pavilion at Radhanagar Sarbojanin Durga Mandir, near Mathurapur Government Primary School in the Bhayna area under Sujanagar Police Station in Pabna.
Police arrived after the temple committee reported the incident and took the woman into custody.
Local residents said she had been staying in the area for four to five days.
Mandap president Samir Kumar Sarkar and general secretary Milon Kumar Sarkar reportedly said the woman was mentally unstable.
A GD was filed at Sujanagar Police Station on October 15 (No. 847).
At around 9:00 am on October 1, a dispute over idol installation broke out at Shri Shri Rasik Ray Jiou ISKCON Temple in Bhatgaon under Bhulli Police Station in Thakurgaon.
According to the report, around 70-80 members of the local Sanatan community entered the temple carrying sticks and assaulted four to five ISKCON members. They allegedly damaged property, forced the ISKCON members out and removed the ISKCON idol before installing their own.
Around 120 ISKCON members later arrived and attempted to intervene, triggering another physical confrontation.
Community leaders, administrative officials and political representatives subsequently held discussions to resolve the dispute. Following an agreement, the old idol was removed and replaced with a newly made one.
Shri Manoranjan Singha, president of the area's Puja Celebration Committee, said the incident primarily stemmed from a dispute between ISKCON and the local Sanatan community.
A GD was filed at Bhulli Police Station on October 1.
At around 11:30 pm on October 2, an argument between groups associated with the neighbouring Krishna and Kali temples in Kashidangi Bairagipara under Baliadangi Police Station in Thakurgaon escalated into a physical altercation.
The dispute reportedly centred on a government grant of Tk 100,000 allocated for temple development.
According to the police report, Krishna Temple president Kailash Mohanta, 45, and Kali Temple president Sudhir Mohanta, 48, had separately applied to the Thakurgaon District Council for financial assistance.
After learning that the grant had been allocated in the name of the Krishna Temple, both groups reportedly claimed that the funding had been sanctioned in response to their respective applications.
A GD was filed at Baliadangi Police Station on October 3.
At around 4:30 pm on October 4, a dispute over the location of an idol installation led to a clash between supporters of two factions of the newly formed temporary committee of Purnachandra Nat Mandir in Nalkhi Para under Delduar Police Station in Tangail.
The committee had been discussing whether the idol for the 2026 Sarbojanin Durga Festival should be installed inside or outside the temple. An argument broke out between supporters of committee president Joyrath Pal and general secretary Dulal Chandra Pal before escalating into a physical altercation.
Police arrived and brought the situation under control. Later, supporters of the general secretary installed the idol inside the temple and hung a banner renaming the venue Sarbojanin Radha Gobinda Nat Mandir.
Shri Raghunath Basak, president of the Delduar Police Station Puja Celebration Committee, said the dispute was resolved through mediation by the local lawmaker.
Members of the local Hindu community agreed to prevent further disorder during the celebrations.
He added that the festival was being observed peacefully in a festive atmosphere.
A GD was filed at Delduar Police Station on October 4.
The Police Headquarters said police responded promptly to incidents involving attacks, idol vandalism and temple theft connected with the Durga Puja celebrations.
According to the statement, authorities took legal action, arrested suspects in various cases, recovered stolen property, helped resolve disputes between conflicting parties and maintained security at Puja venues.
The statement also said Durga Puja was being celebrated at more than 33,000 mandaps across Bangladesh in a festive atmosphere, with enthusiasm and public participation.
While reports citing complaints from the two Hindu organisations referred to incidents at 34 locations, the Police Headquarters presented the six cases above as examples of incidents whose circumstances were examined through field-level verification.
The police statement concluded that the verification findings did not substantiate allegations that these six incidents had been deliberately orchestrated to undermine communal harmony, persecute religious minorities or prevent the peaceful celebration of Durga Puja.
