Buddhist temple blaze in Bangladesh raises fears of extremist attack

Sanjoy Kumar Barua

A predawn fire at a Buddhist temple in southeastern Bangladesh has heightened fears among local residents and the small Buddhist community, after the temple’s head monk alleged that religious fanatics deliberately set the blaze.

The fire broke out early Wednesday at Aburkhil Talukdarpara Sangharaj Vihar, a Buddhist temple located in Ward No. 2 of Urkirchar Union in Raozan, according to local residents and police.

Although police said the cause of the fire remained under investigation and could be accidental, the temple’s head monk, Shraddhapal Bhikkhu, insisted the incident was a planned act of arson that followed a series of suspicious activities around the temple.

The fire started around 4:00 a.m. when the monk was asleep inside the compound.

“I suddenly woke up after hearing loud noises,” Shraddhapal Bhikkhu said.

The monk said he quickly alerted nearby residents, who rushed to the temple and helped extinguish the flames before they could engulf the entire structure.

“With the help of local people we managed to control the fire quickly,” he said. “Otherwise, the whole temple could have been destroyed.”

Despite the swift response, parts of the temple suffered damage.

According to the monk, portraits of revered Buddhist spiritual leaders, religious banners containing sacred texts, and sections of the bamboo fencing surrounding the temple were burned.

“The fire destroyed pictures of our spiritual masters and religious banners,” Shraddhapal Bhikkhu said.

“These are sacred objects for us. Seeing them burned like this is deeply painful.”

The monk said the fire did not appear to be accidental, citing a series of suspicious and escalating incidents around the temple in recent days.

“Two days ago, religious fanatics broke into a room of the Vihar and took valuable items, ” he alleged.

“Then last night someone repeatedly banged on the temple door from outside. When I asked who it was, they ran away.”

“Shortly afterwards, the fire was lit,” he added. “This cannot be a coincidence.”

Shraddhapal Bhikkhu said he now fears for his safety and plans to file a case against unidentified individuals.

Residents of the neighbourhood echoed those fears, saying the incident had shaken the sense of safety in their community.

“We heard shouting early in the morning and rushed outside,” said local resident Sujon Barua, who helped douse the fire. “When we reached the temple, flames were already burning along the fence.”

“We quickly brought water and tried to stop the fire,” he said. “Everyone was worried the entire temple would burn.”

Another resident, Sumetra Rani Barua, said the attack had left many villagers frightened.
“This temple has been here for many years,” she said. “Nothing like this has happened before.

“People are scared that someone may be targeting the Buddhist community.”

She said villagers had become increasingly anxious after hearing about the earlier theft.

“When the monk told us religious extremists had already broken into the temple, we became concerned,” Sumetra Rani said. “Now this fire has made us even more worried.”

A young resident, Arun Barua, said the timing of the incident was alarming.

“The fire started at a time when most people were asleep,” he said. “If the monk had not woken up in time, the temple could have been completely destroyed.”

“We are worried that religious extremists may be behind this,” he added. “Places of worship should never be attacked.”

Community members said the temple serves as a spiritual centre for local Buddhists and plays an important role in religious and social life.

“This Vihar is not just a structure,” said another resident who asked not to be named due to security concerns. “It is a sacred place where people come to pray and seek peace.”

“When something like this happens, it sends a message of fear,” he said.

Police said they had begun investigating the incident but had not yet reached a conclusion about the cause of the fire.

Officer-in-Charge Sajedul Islam of Raozan Police Station said officers visited the scene shortly after receiving reports of the fire.

“A police team led by Sub-Inspector Mamun Bhuiyan inspected the site after the incident,” the OC said.

“We have collected evidence from the scene and are examining all possible causes,” he said.

Sajedul Islam said investigators were also looking into the monk’s allegation that the fire was deliberately set.

“We are investigating the matter thoroughly,” he said. “All aspects, including the claim of planned arson, are being taken into consideration.”

Thirteen years have passed since the night of terror in Ramu, when zealots unleashed a wave of violence that left the Buddhist minority community in shock and despair.

Extremists set fire to centuries-old Buddhist temples, looted homes, and vandalised sacred spaces, targeting religious and cultural landmarks.

The attackers did not stop at temples. They vandalised and looted more than 50 houses in Ramu, attacked the Mushurikhola crematorium in Khurushkul village, and attempted to target Hindu homes in Kharulia village.

The following day, five Buddhist temples in Ukhiya upazila were ransacked, two Hindu temples in Palongkhali union were damaged, and homes in Hoaikong union of Teknaf upazila were torched.

The scale of destruction left the minority communities vulnerable and terrified.

Eighteen cases were filed in connection with the attacks, yet none has reached a conclusion.

All the accused have walked free on bail, and court proceedings remain stalled, leaving the survivors with little hope of justice.

Buddhists, who constitute less than 1% of Bangladesh’s population of over 160 million, have endured decades of insecurity in a country where roughly 90% of the population is Muslim and Islam is the state religion.