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Communal Violence • Mob Violence • Attack on Place of Worship · LLA-000011

Durga Puja communal violence

Date
15 October 2021
Location
Begumganj, Noakhali, Bangladesh
Community
Hindu
Incident type
Communal Violence, Mob Violence, Attack on Temple / Place of Worship
Religious Targeting DocumentedReliable evidence shows religious identity formed part of the targeting.
Shahadathossen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0 — attribution and share-alike required) · CC BY-SA 4.0 — attribution and share-alike required

Mobs attacked Hindu temples and homes across Bangladesh after a Quran desecration allegation during Durga Puja; two Hindu men were killed in Noakhali.

What Happened

Violence spread after a photo circulated alleging a Quran had been placed in a Durga Puja pavilion in Cumilla. In Begumganj, Noakhali, a crowd beat and stabbed a temple committee member to death, and a second Hindu man was found dead near the temple. Other deaths in the wider unrest included people shot when police fired on a crowd attacking a temple; overall tolls differ between outlets.

Evidence Concerning Targeting or Motive

Attacks were directed at Hindu temples and homes during a Hindu festival following a religious accusation, as reported by Reuters, Al Jazeera/AFP and The Guardian.

Casualties / Displacement

Fatalities
2 confirmed
Injuries
Unknown
Displaced
Unknown

Where credible sources differ, the archive shows confirmed figures and reported estimates separately rather than a single exact number.

Investigation / Accountability

Investigation

Police reported hundreds of arrests.

Sources

Secondary sources

  1. Bangladesh's ruling party rallies for Hindus after deadly clashes — ReutersContemporaneous News ReportMajor news organization
    Source
  2. Two Hindu men killed, temples vandalised in Bangladesh violence — Al JazeeraContemporaneous News ReportMajor news organization
    Source
  3. Seven dead after violence erupts during Hindu festival in Bangladesh — The GuardianContemporaneous News ReportMajor news organization
    Source

Methodology

This record distinguishes documented facts from allegations, estimates and disputed interpretations, and may be revised as reliable evidence emerges. Last reviewed 2026-10-01. Read our research methodology.

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