By Chandan Singh | Page 3 News Worldwide | New Delhi
Dhaka: A Hindu temple in Bangladesh’s Faridpur city has reportedly been burgled, with a black stone idol of Goddess Kali, gold ornaments and several other religious artefacts stolen from the Uttar Kalibari Temple.
According to local media reports, including The Daily Star, the theft took place between approximately 10.30 pm on Saturday and 5.45 am on Sunday. Temple authorities said the intruders gained entry after breaking several locks fitted to the temple’s doors and iron shutters.
Among the items reportedly stolen were the black stone idol of Goddess Kali, approximately 7–8 tolas of gold ornaments adorning the idol, small brass idols of Lord Vishnu, Radha-Krishna and Manasa, and a silver serpent weighing around 8–10 tolas that had been placed around a Shiva lingam.
Temple priest Debi Prasad Chakraborty said the Kali idol had been installed on top of a white marble statue of Lord Shiva. While the thieves left the marble Shiva statue untouched, they removed the Kali idol positioned above it. According to the priest, the combined structure weighed around 40 kilograms, while the Kali idol itself weighed at least 20 kilograms.
The circumstances of the theft have prompted questions about whether the perpetrators had made preparations in advance. However, the investigation is still underway and no conclusions about the suspects’ planning or motives have been established.
Kushal Chakraborty, president of the temple management committee, said the CCTV cameras installed on the premises were not operational at the time of the incident. The theft was reported to Bangladesh’s national emergency service, 999, at around 5.45 am, following which police reached the temple.
Mahmudul Hasan, officer-in-charge of Faridpur Kotwali Police Station, said several police teams had been deployed to identify and apprehend those responsible. Police and members of the Criminal Investigation Department also collected evidence from the scene. The stolen items had not been recovered at the time of reporting.
The incident follows another reported temple theft in Faridpur in August. According to The Daily Star, a temple in the Nagarkanda area was targeted, with a Radha-Krishna pair and an idol of Gopal reportedly stolen. Police subsequently collected CCTV footage from nearby locations and later reported recovering two of the idols and arresting four people in connection with the case.
The latest incident has renewed attention on concerns surrounding the security of religious minorities and places of worship in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council has claimed that several incidents involving religious minorities occurred between January and June 2026, including 44 deaths and attacks on 15 religious sites. These figures were published by the organisation and represent its own assessment of the incidents during the period.
