The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Oikyo Parishad (BHBCOP) has expressed deep concern over the statements of the home adviser and legal actions over the allegation of hurting the religious sentiments of the Muslims for the bearded idols of Mahishasura at 793 Durga Puja pavilions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On October 5, Home Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said that general diaries have been filed with local police stations against artists, worshipers and organisers, and an investigation has been launched for \u201cattaching beards<\/a>\u201d to the faces of Mahishasura.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mahishasura\u2019s beard censored in Bangladesh, India\u2019s Yunus satire sparks outrage<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sajeeb Wazed: Rise of extremism brought back dark days of minority persecution<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Minority rights group laments Yunus\u2019 denial of communal violence<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the Central Committee of the BHBCOP said that such statements and initiatives on the part of the interim government may further encourage the ongoing violence of communal forces against the country’s minority communities. Minorities may face various forms of harassment and oppression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Among other places, in Kushtia, the authorities and Touhidi Janata\u2014a common platform of radical Islamist mobs\u2014forced organisers of 38 puja pavilions to remove the beard on Mahishasur\u2019s face, or otherwise hide it with a piece of cloth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pictures of Mahishasur\u2019s faces being covered with towels and red cloths were spread on Facebook.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n They allege that the depiction of the idol with a beard hurt the sentiment of the Muslims, who consider idol worship as\u00a0haram<\/em>\u00a0and creation or veneration of idols is seen as\u00a0shirk<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier, the home adviser drew severe criticism by saying that the Durga Puja is all about consuming alcohol and cannabis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bangladesh\u2019s minority rights group concerned over possible exodus to India<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Idols vandalised in four districts ahead of Durga Puja festivities<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n