A facebook post raged thousands of people, including activists of Hefajat-e-Islam and Ahle Sunna. They vandalized at least 15 Hindu temples and hundreds of houses in Bangladesh’s Chittagong on Sunday.
Some Rasraj Das from Harinberh village under Haripur Union Parishad demeaning the Masjid al Haram in Mecca, the most sacred mosque in the world in his facebook post. Daily Star reported that the people brought out different rallies in Nasirnagar under Brahmanbaria district. They demanded capital punishment for Rasraj Das.
Brahmanbaria Superintendent of Police Mizanur Rahman told Daily Star that around 150 to 200 people attacked the temples and destroyed idols.
In the afternoon, Deputy Commissioner Rezwanur Rahman and Mizanur Rahman inspected the area.
Assistant Superintend of Police Abdul Karim said, until now 15 people were arrested and six people were detained on yesterday during the attack.
General secretary of Nasirnagar Puja Committee, Khailapada Poddar said that they attacked and looted almost 200 Hindu houses.
According to a report, Rapid Action Battalion, paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh and a large number of security personnel from the police have been deployed in the area.
As soon as the police got aware about the allegation against Rasraj they arrested him on Friday. SP Mizanur said he was sent to jail following a court order.
On Sunday afternoon, a group of Madrasa students gathered on the premises of Brahmanbarhia Press Club and hundreds of people blocked Sarail-Nasirnagar-Lakhai road.
SP Mizanur told the protesters armed with local weapons destroyed the temples of Namashudraparha, Ghoshparha, Duttubarhi, Goura Temple and Jagannath Temple. Also, many priests were injured. He blamed Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir for the attack. “The opportunist quarter carried out this attack to embarrass the government. Those behind it will be found out and dealt with in a tough manner.”
Deputy Commissioner Rezwanur Rahman said to the media that whoever were responsible for the attack would get ‘exemplary’ punishment.
Anjan Deb, the Vice-Chairman of Nasirnagar Upazila Parishad stated, “The situation is apparently calm now but the Hindu community is still panicked.”
However, in protest of the attack on Hindu community, today people from all quarters will march under the banner of ‘Sompriti Somabesh’.
