In Niltuli, Faridpur, stands a century-old Kali temple. At around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, the temple priest locked the premises and went home. When he returned in the morning, he found all the locks on the gate broken and the Kali idol made of black stone missing.

Also stolen were brass idols of Ganesha, Narayan and Lakshmi; a silver idol of Manasa; idols of Vishnu and Gopal; the snake wrapped around the Shiva lingam; and nearly ten tola of gold ornaments adorning the idols.

Inside the district town, within the jurisdiction of Kotwali Police Station, eight idols were removed after breaking the locks, yet there was reportedly no indication that anyone noticed anything throughout the night. The SP arrived, the Additional SP arrived, the OC arrived, and CID officials also came. Everyone inspected the scene, but the pedestal remained empty.

If this were an isolated incident, it would be a different matter. According to the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, 257 incidents of communal violence occurred during the first six months of 2026, resulting in 44 deaths. Between January and March alone, the organisation reported 25 killings and attacks and looting at 35 temples.

Within just one month of the new government taking office, there were allegations of at least 50 attacks, including an explosion at a Shiva temple in Cumilla, arson at a Lakshmi temple in Bogura, and the abduction and gang rape of a Hindu woman in Bhola.

Yet before the election, the BNP had promised to ensure the security of everyone regardless of religion or ethnicity. The value of that promise now appears to be worth even less than the locks on a temple door.

No one has yet been held accountable for the violence minorities experienced following the 2001 election. The BNP is now back in power, while Jamaat has secured a presence in parliament. Demands for a Minority Protection Act and a Minority Commission are longstanding, and once again, those demands have had to be raised at the National Press Club.

There is no law, no commission—only assurances and inspections.

The years 2001–2006 appear to be returning, this time in 2026. The Kali idols are gone. Who will answer for what may come next for the country’s minorities?⁩