A Goddess Kali idol along with several ornaments and religious artefacts was stolen from the Uttar Kalibari Temple in Faridpur city, Bangladesh, local media reported on Monday, 21 September 2026, citing temple authorities. The theft is the latest in a troubling pattern of attacks on Hindu places of worship across the country, raising fresh concerns about minority safety.

What Was Stolen and When

According to the temple management committee, the theft reportedly took place between approximately 10:30 pm on Saturday and 5:45 am on Sunday. The stolen items included the Goddess Kali idol, roughly 7–8 tolas of gold ornaments adorning the idol, small brass idols of Lord Vishnu, Radha-Krishna, and Manasa, as well as a silver snake weighing approximately 8–10 tolas that had been wrapped around a Shiva Linga, according to Bangladesh's leading newspaper The Daily Star.

Temple priest Debi Prasad Chakraborty told reporters that the Kali idol had been placed atop a white-marble Shiva idol. 'The white-marble Shiva idol was left behind, while the unknown thief or thieves took away the Kali idol,' he said, adding that the entire structure weighed approximately 40 kg, with the Kali idol alone estimated at at least 20 kg.

Temple's Response and Police Action

Kushal Chakraborty, president of the temple management committee, confirmed that the CCTV cameras at the site were not functioning at the time of the incident and that the stolen items have not yet been recovered. The Officer-in-Charge, Mahmudul Hasan, confirmed the theft and stated, according to The Daily Star, that 'several police teams have already started working to identify and arrest those involved.' No arrests had been reported at the time of publication.

A Widening Pattern of Attacks on Minorities

This incident comes amid mounting concerns over the security of Hindu minority communities in Bangladesh — a trend that critics say began during the period of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government and has continued under the current Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) administration. The Awami League has alleged that attacks on temples, arson of homes, land seizures, sexual violence against women, and large-scale displacement of Hindus from Bangladesh are now recurring at a scale reminiscent of the BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami alliance's five-year rule from 2001 to 2006.

Notably, the Awami League also cited the recent killing of retired Hindu teacher Ganapati Chakraborty and his entire family in Rangpur city as evidence of a broader pattern of minority persecution, arguing that the ruling BNP government's inaction reflects institutional indifference to minority safety.

Allegations of Systematic Discrimination

In a separate statement, the Awami League alleged that religious minorities across Bangladesh have faced widespread discrimination since August 2024, including dismissals from employment, denial of promotions, undeclared restrictions on government service entry, and the seizure of homes, land, and businesses. 'It is extremely unfortunate that since August 5, 2024, religious minorities across the country have faced dismissals from employment, denial of promotions, undeclared restrictions on entering government service, and various forms of oppression and persecution, including the seizure of homes, land, and businesses,' the party stated. These are allegations from a political party and have not been independently verified.

What Comes Next

The investigation into the Faridpur theft remains active, with police teams deployed to trace the stolen idols and ornaments. Human rights observers and Hindu community organisations in Bangladesh are expected to press the BNP government for stronger protective measures for minority places of worship. The international spotlight on Bangladesh's minority situation has intensified, with India closely watching developments given the large Hindu diaspora community with ties to Bangladesh.