An anxious Durga puja nears conclusion in Bangladesh

When you approach Shankhari Bazar in Bangladesh's capital, one of the largest Hindu communities here, it won't be a landmark or sign that gives it away. 

It's rather a sweet smell permeating the air, a combination of thousands of agarbatis [incense sticks] lit across the area. 

Agarbatis, also known as dhup kati or dhup stick, come in different fragrances, starting from the flowery smell of Jasmine to sweet earthy Chandan, and all of them combined creates this strong smell around the entire area. 

The next thing you'll notice are the small shops selling idols and drawings of Hindu Goddesses. 

It's almost a Dhaka you have never experienced before.

The visit that we had in Shankhari Bazar was even more festive and happening as it was on 7 October, just a day before the biggest celebration of the community, the Durga Puja. 

Hindus from all around the city were busy with their final puja shopping. 

Behind all the festivities though, was an air of uncertainty, almost a palpable nervousness.

There had been several reports of attacks on the people of the Hindu community in Bangladesh over the past two months, some substantiated, others less so.

Contradictory narratives prevail centring the attacks.

Take Kona Chowdhury for an example. 

During an interview, Kona said her home in Jashore was vandalised by local political leaders immediately after the recently ousted prime minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina fled the country after a public uprising on 5 August. 

"The reason behind the attack was my father's involvement with the politics of Awami League [the then ruling party]," says Kona Chowdhury, who runs a small daycare and preschool in the capital's Rampura. 

"Is it said anywhere in the Constitution that a Hindu cannot participate in politics? Why can't my father return to the home he has built over the past 40 years? Why did he need to go into hiding?" she asks. 

At the current juncture, the answer to her question comes in layers.

"Since the partition in 1947, Hindus have always been attacked under the Pakistan government. The intensity of the attacks increased anytime there was a change in the regime," said Gobinda Chandra Pramanik, secretary general of the Bangladesh Jatiya Hindu Mohajote (Bangladesh National Hindu Grand Alliance).

"When Bangladesh finally got its independence in 1971, Hindus finally thought that they might have become free as well. But that was not the case," he added. 

Gobinda claimed that using the Vested Property Act in 1974, the then-government had taken over 26 lakh acres of lands that belonged to the Hindu community of the recently-independent country. 

"So you see, Hindus were always targeted and oppressed in the country," he added. 

But was the targeting different this time around?

"You see, Hindus were targeted multiple times during the previous AL regime as well, with allegations of making derogatory comments against the Prophet or Islam. But this time around, some of the Hindus were subjected to violence due to their affiliation with the ousted political party," Gobinda explained. 

More than meets the eye

Back in Shankhari Bazar, we talked to multiple members of the community to find out the perspective of the general Hindu population. 

"We have heard of reports of a chaotic situation after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina. However, we remained untouched. We decided to keep the temple closed nonetheless for some time," said a woman shopkeeper in her fifties, referring to the Raksha Kali Mata Temple next to her stall. 

When asked for the reasons behind keeping the temple closed, she said it was due to the reports of robbery across the country immediately after Hasina fled, alongside top members of the police force, and they were afraid that a group of robbers might try to steal the valuables – mostly jewelleries – that are with the idol at the temple. 

"We had to keep them safe as a precaution, just in case someone tries to steal them," she added. 

The shopkeeper also mentioned that a huge group of people came to Shankhari Bazar multiple times after 5 August and told them not to worry. 

"They assured us that nothing bad will happen in the area. They told us to reopen the temple and continue our prayers as we do. But we decided to keep the main door closed and allow the devotees to offer prayers from the street," she said. 

Roaming around the narrow streets, we came across another woman in her thirties who said she feels like there is an overall lack of safety for the Hindu community in Bangladesh. 

"Before the recent chaos, I did not have safety concerns like I have now. I felt safe. Now I don't," she said. 

The anxiety is evident.

Another woman in her thirties gave a different observation. 

She believes that the Hindus living inside Dhaka are much safer than those living in rural areas, and the spirit of Durga Puja might be affected due to the reports of attacks on the community. 

"The attack on the community cannot be denied, no matter how much of it was covered in the media," she said. 

Meanwhile, the country celebrated Durga Puja at more than 31,400 puja mandaps across the country, including 252 in the capital, under multiple layers of security.