The 1989 Bangladesh riots were a series of attacks against the

Bengali Hindus Bengali Hindus ( bn, বাঙ্গালী হিন্দু/বাঙালি হিন্দু, translit=Bāṅgālī Hindu/Bāṅāli Hindu) are an ethnoreligious population who make up the majority in the Indian states of West Beng ...

in October - November, apparently as a reaction to the laying of the foundation of Ram temple adjacent to

Demolition of the Babri Masjid The demolition of the Babri Masjid was illegally carried out on 6 December 1992 by a large group of activists of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and allied organisations. The 16th-century Babri Masjid in the city of Ayodhya, in Uttar Pradesh, had ...

Ayodhya Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya, also known as Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and setting of the great epic Ramayana. Ayodhya wa ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. In the pogroms, thousands of

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

homes and businesses were destroyed. More than 400 Hindu temples were destroyed. On 30 October 1989, Hindu shops were looted and set on fire in Chittagong, in spite of a curfew. Hindu men and women were attacked and molested. On 10 November, a Muslim mob shouting

anti-Hindu Anti-Hindu sentiment, also known as Hinduphobia, is a negative perception, sentiment or actions against the practitioners of Hinduism. Examples of anti-Hindu sentiments According to the religious dialogue activist P. N. Benjamin, som ...

slogans took out a procession in Khulna. Hindu temples were attacked and destroyed by the mob. On 11 November, a Muslim mob attacked Hindu shops and temples in

Narsingdi Narsingdi /Narsingdi Sadar ( bn, নরসিংদী) is a city and headquarters of Narsingdi District in the division of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The Dhaka-Sylhet highway connects Narsingdi with the capital and other major cities. The district is ...

. More than 25 Hindu-owned shops were set on fire and images in three temples were smashed. The mob was led by Maulana Tajul Islam, who carried firearms and raised anti-Hindu slogans. On 17 November, the Hindu students of

Brojomohun College Govt. Brojomohun College, Barisal (also BM College) is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Bangladesh. It is located in the city of Barisal in south-western Bangladesh. History On June 14, 1889, Aswini Kumar Dutta founded Brojo ...

Barisal Barisal ( or ; bn, বরিশাল, ), officially known as Barishal, is a major city that lies on the banks of the Kirtankhola river in south-central Bangladesh. It is the largest city and the administrative headquarter of both Barisal Di ...

were attacked, beaten up and thrown out of the hostel. In

Comilla Comilla (; bn, কুমিল্লা, Kumillā, ), officially spelled Cumilla, is the fifth largest city of Bangladesh and second largest in Chittagong division. It is the administrative centre of the Comilla District. The name Comilla was ...

, brick-bats were thrown on Hindu devotees during the Ram Thakur festival. Some of the devotees were seriously injured. On 18 November, a 500 strong Muslim mob hurled stones at Hindu-owned shops in Khulna, injuring 50 people.

References

{{Reflist Anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh 1989 crimes in Bangladesh Pogroms 20th-century Hinduism October 1989 events in Asia November 1989 events in Asia

See also

References