Communal violence
Cumilla communal violence: Another case filed
Another case was filed on Tuesday over Cumilla communal violence triggered by alleged desecration of the Holy Quran at a Hindu temple.
The case was filed by Puja Rani, wife of Dilip Das (62) who died from injuries he suffered when troublemakers attacked Rajeshwari Kali Mandir in Manoharpur of the district on October 13.
Inspector Komol Krishna Dhor of Kotwali Police Station, where the case was filed, told UNB that 50-60 unidentified people were named in the case.
Meanwhile, Superintendent of Police(Cumilla) Khan Muhammad Rezwan said that the Criminal Investigation Department is keeping watch over several more people in another case filed over triggering communal violence by hurting religious sentiments.
Read: Iqbal, the prime suspect in Bangladesh communal violence brought to Cumilla
“Soon, we will arrest several others over the incident,” he added.
Meanwhile, Cumilla police continued to quiz Iqbal Hossain, who reportedly placed the Holy Quran at a Puja mandap at Nauar Digir Par of Cumilla.
The SP said that though Iqbal confessed to his role in placing the Quran, he was yet to disclose the names of the masterminds.
He said three others, arrested in connection with the violence, are also being interrogated.
Earlier, the case filed over the Quran desecration in a puja mandap of Cumilla was handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Read: Cumilla desecration suspect, 3 others remanded in 7-day police custody
Police arrested Iqbal from Cox’s Bazar district on Thursday night after identifying him by scanning the footage of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.
Three others were arrested from different parts of the country over the matter.
They are Faisal and Hafez Humayun, the two khadems of Darogabari shrine, and Ekram.A local court on Saturday put them on a seven-day remand in the case.
Names of puja violence instigators to be disclosed soon: Home Minister
Home Minister Asaduzzman Khan on Tuesday said the names of those who fuelled the violence at puja mandaps in different parts of the country will be made public soon.
The minister said this at ‘BSRF Dialogue’ organized by Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum at the secretariat.
“Those who’ve been arrested in Rangpur and Noakhali vandalism cases have disclosed their (instigators) names in their confessional statements given under section 164 of the penal code,” he said.
Read: Communal violence: Citizens demand exemplary punishment for perpetrators
“So far, 10 cases have been filed over the vandalism triggered following the desecration of Holy Quran in Cumilla, and 18 people have been arrested for being directly involved in the criminal acts. Confessional statements of the arrestees are being recorded, and we’ll disclose the names after being hundred percent sure,” the minister added.
Communal violence: Citizens demand exemplary punishment for perpetrators
Prominent civil society members staged a protest in the capital on Monday, demanding speedy and exemplary punishment for the perpetrators of communal attacks in Bangladesh.
The protest came in the wake of a series of attacks on the minority Hindus during Durga Puja celebrations.
Under the aegis of Sampriti Bangladesh, a citizens’ platform promoting secularism, a large crowd gathered at Central Shaheed Minar on Monday afternoon and placed a seven-point demand for maintaining religious harmony in the country.
Read:Communal violence: Protesters stage demo at Shahbagh
Holding placards and banners, the civil society activists demanded the necessary steps for the "complete eradication of fundamentalism" from the country.
In fact, a total of 89 non-communal and pro-liberation organisations expressed solidarity with the protesters, Sampriti said.
AL behind’ communal violence, alleges BNP
BNP senior leader Gayeshwar Chandra Roy on Monday alleged that the ruling party leaders and activists were directly involved in the recent communal violence as part of a ‘blueprint of the government’.
“We visited some temples that came under attack and talked to eyewitnesses and other people concerned. The direct involvement of the leaders and activists of Awami League, Jubo League and Chhatra League in these attacks can be found through a proper investigation,” he said.
Gayeshwar, the chief of the committee formed by BNP to look into the sectarian violence, came up with the remarks at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office. The committee earlier inspected some violence-hit areas.
Also read: Arrest warrants issued against BNP leaders Rizvi, Dulu
He alleged that the government has not taken any step to bring the attackers under trial and punish them.
“An initiative has been taken to pick up or arrest and harass BNP leaders and activists by implicating them in false cases and thus hiding the attackers as part of a blueprint. Undoubtedly, it can be said the government has created an issue in a planned way to harass the leaders of the opposition political parties,” Gayeshwar said.
He said though intelligence agencies and police have ideas about the attackers, innocent and peace-loving people have been made accused in the cases filed over communal violence.
"We won’t say only the Hindus have been affected through these attacks (on temples and puja mandaps) as we think the entire nation has been attacked. We must make a concerted effort to resist these attackers,” the BNP leader observed.
He urged the media to take a stance against the real perpetrators and be vocal to ensure justice.
Earlier on October 17, BNP formed two committees for, what it said, standing beside the victims of recent communal attacks and investigating the incidents to find out the facts.
One of the committees was formed headed by BNP standing committee member Gayeshwar Chandra Roy to visit the violence-affected temples and puja mandaps in different areas of the country.
Also read: ‘Invisible’ force controlling Bangladesh: Fakhrul
On October 23, the Gayeshwar-led committee visited three temples in Cumilla and Chandpur and talked to victims, including priests and eyewitnesses.
Gayeshwar said, "Chandmani Raksha Kali temple in Cumilla was attacked thrice in one day on October 13.
He said police had also come to the spot thrice after the attackers and left the spot.
The BNP leader said even a temple came under attack in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s electoral area in Gopalganj. “From this, it can be assumed that the government is making a despicable attempt to divert public attention through a large-scale communal riot and thus prolong its autocratic power.”
He called upon people of all strata, irrespective of religion, to get united and raise their voice against communal violence in a bid to uphold the non-communal culture of Bangladesh.
Communal violence: Missing Hanuman’s mace recovered in Cumilla
The ‘Gada’ (Mace) of Hindu God Hanuman which went missing from a Cumilla temple has been recovered from a pond near the Darogabari Mazar mosque in the district.
Iqbal Hossain, the man arrested for placing the Holy Quran at a Hindu temple, reportedly threw the mace into the pond on the night of the incident.
Read:Iqbal, the prime suspect in Bangladesh communal violence brought to Cumilla
Inspector Parimal Das of the Detective Branch said it was recovered around 11 pm Sunday.
“After Iqbal confessed that he had dropped the Hindu God’s weapon in a pond, police took him to the pond and a diving team recovered the mace ,” he added.
Besides, the case filed over the Quran desecration in a puja mandap of Cumilla, has been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Cumilla Additional Superintendent of Police M Tanvir Ahmed said the case was handed over to CID following an instruction from the Police Headquarters.
Police arrested Iqbal Hossain from Cox’s Bazar district on Thursday night after identifying him by scanning the footages of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.
Three others were arrested from different parts of the country over the matter.
They are Faisal and Hafez Humayun, the two khadems of Darogabari shrine, and Ekram.
Read:Cumilla desecration suspect, 3 others remanded in 7-day police custody
A local court on Saturday put them on a seven-day remand in the case.
Iqbal is believed to have placed the holy Quran inside Nanuar Dighi Par puja mandap in Cumilla city in the early hours of October 13, which led to attacks on Durga Puja venues across the country recently.
Quran desecration case against Iqbal, 3 others transferred to CID
Police handed over the Quran desecration case against Iqbal Hossain and three others to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Sunday.
The instruction came from the Police Headquarters, Mohammad Rezwan, police super of Cumilla CID, told UNB.
"Also, the law enforcers took Iqbal to the Daroga Bari Mazar Mosque pond at night. At 11pm the divers found the mace which went missing from Nanuar Dighi puja site in Cumilla city," Parimal Das, inspector of Cumilla Detective Branch of Police, told UNB.
In footage of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, Iqbal could be seen taking the Quran from a local mosque and entering a Durga Puja site. He is later seen walking away with a mace, taken from an idol of Lord Hanuman.
Read: Iqbal, the prime suspect in Bangladesh communal violence, brought to Cumilla
Communal violence: Facebook cannot deny responsibility, says Hasan Mahmud
Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud has said Facebook and other social networks cannot deny responsibility in spreading posts that led to the recent communal violence in Bangladesh.
The minister made the remark on Sunday after attending a meeting with the Bangladesh National Journalists Forum at the Secretariat.
“The social media authorities cannot deny that fake posts on Facebook triggered the recent incidents in Bangladesh,” he said.
Read: Hindu community stages protest against communal violence
“We need to think about this as it is a matter of global concern too. We will communicate with different ministries about the matter within this week,” said Hasan Mahmud.
The minister said the incidents in both Cumilla and Pirganj were blown out of proportion due to social media posts, triggering even bigger clashes.
“The one who kept holy Quran in puja mandap, the one who made him do it, those who created a situation of violence without fact checking and the Facebook authority all are equally responsible for this social unrest,” said Hasan Mahmud.
Read: Iqbal, the prime suspect in Bangladesh communal violence, brought to Cumilla
“We don’t want to control social media but in the past as well the same kind of thing happened using social media,” he said.
Clarity in administrating social media is important to prevent misuse, said Hasan Mahmud.
'Concert against violence' held to protest communal attacks
'Concert against Violence' was held in front of the 'Raju Bhashkorjo' of Dhaka University protesting all the communal attacks on Friday.
Popular bands including Shironamhin featured at the 'Concert against Violence' that started around 3pm.
A series of rehabilitation steps taken for victims of communal violence
A series of steps have been taken by both the government and the ruling Awami League to rehabilitate the victims of communal violence to boost their confidence and ensure security for them.
A total of 102 cases were filed accusing 20,619 people in connection with the violence against the Hindu community. So far 583 were arrested as part of the ongoing drive against offenders.
Cash assistance, foods, cloths, other essential commodities and house construction materials have been provided to the affected families by the government and the party.
Besides, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared that houses would be made for the affected families. “Steps have already been taken in this regard,” she said while addressing a virtual programme on the day.
In order to restore confidence among the minority people, the PM directed her party members to intensify vigilance to maintain communal harmony preventing any possible violence in every locality.
The government earlier directed the law enforcement agencies to hunt down the culprits responsible for breaking communal harmony.
A total of 117 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh have been deployed in 37 districts and three metropolitan cities while police, Rapid Action Battalion and plain-cloth law enforcers are patrolling round the clock.
Read: Hindu community stages protest against communal violence
On the part of the ruling party, AL has directed all its units to remain vigilant and assist the law enforcers to thwart any sort of violation of communal harmony, said Biplab Barua, office secretary of the ruling party.
Several ministers, senior Awami League leaders, Members of Parliament, high government and law enforcing officials visited the affected and vulnerable areas in the past few days following the directive by the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister’s Office is also monitoring the situation at the directive of the Prime Minister, said PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim. “Bangladesh is a land of communal harmony and none will be allowed to break it,” he added.
Social media and online media are being monitored constantly, and over two dozen people including an assistant professor of Begum Badrunnessa Government Girls College were arrested for their involvement in spreading rumors using false information, according to the police headquarters.
The LGRD Ministry issued directives to all public representatives including Union Parishads, Upazilas, municipalities and City Corporations to remain vigilant and play their due role to maintain peace and harmony in their respective localities. To this end, the ministry would hold a virtual meeting on Sunday.
LGRD Minister Md Tazul Islam also visited Cumilla from where the incident spread following alleged defamation of Holy Quran.
The Religious Affairs Ministry has recently held meetings with clerics of major religions in the several days and directed them to build awareness, motivate people and disseminate the essence of communal harmony for maintaining peace, said a high officials of the ministry.
State Minister for Religious Affairs Faridul Huq Khan visited the victims and distributed cash Taka 10,000 each of 61 families alongside provided baby foods and cattle feed in Rangpur.
Read: Iqbal, the prime suspect in Bangladesh communal violence, brought to Cumilla
The Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief allocated 100 bundles of corrugated iron sheets, Tk 445,000 for house construction and distributed 1200 packets of foodstuffs as humanitarian assistance for the victim Hindu families, said its secretary Md Mohsin.
Rangpur district administration on Sunday night distributed Tk 9 lakh cash assistance and 100 bundles of corrugated iron sheets among 65 affected families.
Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) has set up a number of tents to give shelter to the homeless people so that they are not forced to spend night under open sky.
Information Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud also visited the victim families and distributed Tk 5,000 and 20kg rice among each Hindu family, who became victims of violence and arson attack in Pirganj.
On behalf of the Awami League, cash, food and clothes have been given to the victim families, said Barua, also a special assistant to the Prime Minister.
He said a central Awami League team will visit across the country shortly led by party general secretary Obaidul Quader.
Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury and Whip Abu Sayeed Al Mahmud Swapon visited the victims in Rangpur.
Hindu community stages protest against communal violence
Hundreds of protesters from ten Hindu organisations on Friday staged demonstration at Shahbag protesting recent attacks on temples, vandalism of idols, arson and violence against Hindu community.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) led the events in front of the National Museum in Shahbag.
Read:Protection of Hindus, others must be ensured: AI