Destruction

The Ayubian massacres during the first phase of the genocide (1958-65) and the massacres during the final phase of the genocide (1971) was also accompanied by large scale destruction of Bengali Hindu villages and even urban neighbourhoods, leading to the forced migration of the survivors. The desecration and destruction of Hindu temples was a characteristic feature of these massacres.

The initial Ayubian massacres of 1961-63 were characteristic of local incidents escalating into full fledged ethnic cleansing. The law enforcement agencies were restrained and organized mobs were let loose on the hapless Bengali Hindus of the village or locality in question. Following the massacre of the population, the villages were looted, destroyed and burnt. In 1964, the massacres were on a national issue, much more organized and wide spread. Centrally organized mobs were provided with equipment and transport to massacre the Bengali Hindus over an entire police station area or even a sub-division. Massacres took place in some villages, but in many villages the residents had already fled. Loot, destruction and arson were done with precision.

In the massacres during the final phase of the genocide (1971), the Pakistan Army contingents after setting up their camps in the regions they were deputed to, resorted to ‘Kill and Burn’ missions. Their local collaborators would draw up the list of Hindu villages and Hindu residences, in some cases marking the Hindu properties with yellow ‘H’. Informed by their collaborators would launch manhunt from village to village and door to door. After their targets have been killed, the Army would destroy the Hindu villages and localities, while the collaborators would loot them.

The desecration and destruction of Bengali Hindu religious institutions – temples, mutts, akharas, shrines etc. was not uncommon in East Pakistan before the promulgation of the martial law. After the declaration of the martial law it continued with the same intensity. In the final phase of the genocide (1971), the Pakistan Army targeted the Bengali Hindu religious institutions for complete destruction in order to remove all traces of Hindu culture from East Pakistan. On 27th March 1971, they commenced their attacked on Hindu temples with the destruction of the Ramna Kali temple. Throughout the day the Pakistan Army destroyed dozens of temples across the province. By the end of the genocidal regime, there were only a few temples that remained in the province.

The following is a partial list of the major temples, monasteries and other religious institutions that were destroyed throughout the province in 1971.