Dhaka:
Law enforcement authorities arrested four people on Saturday for vandalizing and damaging a Hindu temple, houses and shops of the community in Sunamganj district of northern Bangladesh. Police have also filed a case against 12 named persons and 150 to 170 unidentified persons.
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, according to a press release from the Press Department chief advisor here.
“On December 3, a Facebook post by Akash Das, a resident of Sunamganj district, sparked tension in the district. Although he deleted the message, the screenshots spread widely, leading to violence in the area,” state news agency Bangladesh said. Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) said citing the press release.
The Dhaka Tribune newspaper said that although the post had been deleted, its screenshots had been circulated, sparking tensions among locals. Police detained Das the same day, but a group of people tried to snatch him from police custody.
“For security reasons, Das was shifted to Sadar police station instead of being held at Doarabazar,” the report said.
The newspaper added that later on the same day, angry locals attacked and destroyed the Loknath temple as well as houses and shops of the Hindu community.
The situation was brought under control through the intervention of the Superintendent of Police (SP), District Commissioner (DC) and Army and Police personnel, it added.
Police say they are conducting an in-depth investigation to identify those involved in the incident.
On Saturday, the press release also said that police had identified the suspects involved in the incident and filed a case against 12 named persons and 150 to 170 unidentified people, the BSS added.
Relations between India and Bangladesh came under strain after the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus came to power after ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the country on August 5 following a student-led protest.
Relations have further deteriorated in recent weeks due to continued attacks on Hindus and especially after the recent arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das, a former member of ISKCON Bangladesh and now spokesperson for the Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote organization.
On Tuesday, Bangladesh acknowledged 88 incidents of communal violence against minorities, mainly Hindus, following Hasina's ouster.
Shafiqul Alam, the press secretary of interim government head Muhammad Yunus, also said that 70 people have been arrested in these incidents.
He made the disclosure a day after Foreign Minister Vikram Misri noted deplorable incidents of attacks on minorities and raised India's concerns, including those related to the safety and well-being of minorities, during his meetings with Bangladeshi leaders in Dhaka.
A total of 88 cases were filed in minority-related incidents between August 5 and October 22, Alam told reporters.
There has been a wave of incidents of violence against Hindus and other minorities in recent weeks, as well as attacks on temples in Bangladesh, raising major concerns in New Delhi.
Earlier on Thursday, the White House said President Joe Biden is closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh and that the United States will hold Bangladesh's interim government accountable for ensuring the protection of religious and ethnic minorities in the country.
In New Delhi's Center for Democracy, Pluralism and Human Rights (CDPHR), 190 cases of looting were reported on Friday between August 5 and 9, 32 houses were torched, 16 temples were desecrated and two incidents of sexual violence were recorded. after Hasina's resignation.
The CDPHR released a report entitled 'Bangladesh Minorities Under Siege: A Wake-Up Call for the International Community' on the plight of minorities in Bangladesh and details the incidents of violence and unrest affecting the country's Hindu communities in the aftermath of the political unrest. changes.
By August 20, the number of reported incidents had increased significantly, with a total of 2,010 incidents of violence against Hindus, including the desecration of 69 temples and attacks on 157 families, the report said.
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