Law enforcement agencies on Saturday arrested four people for vandalising and damaging a Hindu temple and houses and shops of the community in Sunamganj district in north Bangladesh. Police also filed a case against 12 named persons and 150-170 unidentified people.
Alim Hossain, 19, Sultan Ahmed Raju, 20, Imran Hossain, 31, and Shajahan Hossain, 20, were arrested for vandalism in the Doarabazar area of Sunamganj district earlier this month, a press release from the Chief Adviser’s press wing here.
“On December 3, a Facebook post by Akash Das, a resident of the Sunamganj district, sparked tensions in the district. Even though he deleted the post, screenshots spread widely, leading to violence in the area,” state-run news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) said quoting the press release.
The Dhaka Tribune newspaper said although the post was deleted, its screenshots were circulated, sparking tension among locals. Police detained Das on the same day, but a group of people attempted to snatch him from police custody.
“For safety reasons, Das was transferred to the Sadar Police Station instead of being kept in Doarabazar,” it said.
The newspaper further added that later, on the same day, enraged locals attacked and vandalised the Loknath Temple and also homes and shops belonging to the Hindu community.
The situation was brought under control with the intervention of the Superintendent of Police (SP), the District Commissioner (DC), and personnel from the army and police, it added.
Police said they are conducting an in-depth investigation to identify those involved in the incident.
On Saturday, the press release also said that the police identified the accused involved in the incident and filed a case against 12 named persons and 150-170 unidentified people, the BSS added.
The relations between India and Bangladesh came under strain after the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus came to power after deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country on August 5 following a student-led protest.
The relations deteriorated further in recent weeks over continued attacks on Hindus and especially after the recent arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former member of ISKCON Bangladesh and now, a spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote organisation.
On Tuesday, Bangladesh acknowledged 88 incidents of communal violence against minorities, primarily Hindus, following Hasina’s ouster.
Interim government head Muhammad Yunus’ press secretary Shafiqul Alam also said that 70 people have been arrested in those incidents.
He made the disclosure a day after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri flagged regrettable incidents of attacks on minorities and conveyed India’s concerns, including those related to the safety and welfare of minorities, during his meetings with the Bangladeshi leadership in Dhaka.
A total of 88 cases have been filed in incidents related to minorities from August 5 to October 22, Alam told reporters.
There have been a spate of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities, as well as attacks on temples in Bangladesh in the last few weeks that triggered strong concerns in New Delhi.
Earlier on Thursday, the White House said President Joe Biden was closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh and the United States will hold the Bangladeshi interim government accountable for ensuring the protection of religious and ethnic minorities in the country.
In New Delhi, the Centre for Democracy, Pluralism and Human Rights (CDPHR) on Friday there were 190 reported cases of looting, 32 homes were set on fire, 16 temples were desecrated and two incidents of sexual violence were recorded between August 5 and 9 after Hasina’s resignation.
The CDPHR released a report titled ‘Bangladesh Minorities Under Siege: A Wake-Up Call for the International Community’ on the state of minorities in Bangladesh and details the incidents of violence and unrest affecting the Hindu communities in the country in the wake of the political changes.
By August 20, the number of reported incidents had increased significantly, with 2,010 total cases of violence against the Hindus, including the desecration of 69 temples and attacks on 157 families, it states.