Ruling party Awami League’s activists allegedly vandalised the office of Natore’s Lalpur upazila unit BNP on Tuesday night. Though no one sustained injuries in this attack, valuables of the office were damaged or lost. Read more: BNP offices vandalized in Khulna, leaders’ houses attacked Nazrul Islam, convener of Lalpur municipality unit BNP, alleged that the AL men led by local leader Mustafizur Rahman carried out the attack suddenly when he was holding a meeting with his party men inside the office around 9pm. “Our party men saved themselves by fleeing the spot,” he said. Monowaruzzaman, officer-in-charge of Lalpur police station, said they received no allegation from anybody in this connection.

A case has been filed against 250 unnamed BNP activists in connection with the vandalism of Bangabandhu and the Prime Minister's photos following the murder of a leader of the party in Sylhet's Rikabibazar area. Metropolitan unit Awami League (AL) member Zahid Sarwar Sobuj filed the case at Kotwali police station on Tuesday night, said Mohammad Ali Mahmud, officer-in-charge (OC) of the police station. Police also detained four people in this connection and sent to jail showing them arrested under section 54 of the Criminal Procedure code, he added. Read: Police–BNP clash in Kishoreganj: 29 including 11 cops hurt They are- Ishtiak Ahmed Raju, Badrul Islam Nazrul, Milad ahmed and Rajib Ahmed, all Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) activists. The four will be shown arrested in this case now. “Efforts are on to arrest others involved with the vandalism,” the OC added. Read: 70 BNP activists including Ishraque sued over vandalisation at Barishal AL office The plaintiff  alleged that the photos of Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina were vandalised in the Rikabibazar area of the city on November 6 during a protest programme of BNP after the killing of AFM Kamal, former health affairs secretary of Sylhet district unit of the party, in Barobazar area of Sylhet.

Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader  on Friday urged  leaders and workers of the party to remain vigilant against any attempt at disrupting celebration of Durga Puja. He made the call at a meeting with the puja celebration committee and Sanatan religious leaders at the political office of the Awami League president in Dhanmondi. Read: Benazir directs police to ensure impenetrable security during Durga Puja Awami League's Liberation War Affairs Secretary Mrinal Kanti Das, Cultural Affairs Secretary Asim Kumar Ukil, Relief and Social Welfare Secretary Sujit Roy Nandi, Office Secretary Barrister Biplab Barua, Information and Research Secretary Salim Mahmud were present at the meeting. Quader said that Awami League is determined to build a non-communal Bangladesh. Later, Awami League General Secretary attended a discussion meeting organized by the relief and social welfare sub-committee of the party on the occasion of Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's birthday at Bangla Academy in the capital.  Quader said that Hasina was born to suffer like her father Mujib. Mentioning the name of Sheikh Hasina, the most prominent Bengali and honest, courageous and efficient administrator in Bangladesh after Bangabandhu, Quader said that Sheikh Hasina is the epitome of transformation. Read: DMP commissioner orders ensuring maximum security during Durga Puja Awami League presidium member Begum Matia Chowdhury presided over the event while Awami League presidium member Abdur Rahman, Bangla Academy Director General poet Muhammad Nurul Huda, Dhaka University Bangla Department Chairman Professor Dr. Syed Azizul Haque, Bangla Department Professor Dr. Bhismdev Chowdhury, Awami League Relief and Social Welfare Secretary Sujit Roy Nandy spoke at the event.  Later, Obaidul Quader distributed educational materials and one-time merit scholarships among meritorious students of Bengali Department of Dhaka University.

Police have filed six cases against 195 inhabitants of Sitakunda’s Jongol Salimpur area on charge of attacking police and carrying out vandalism during their demonstrations blocking Dhaka-Chattogram highway. The cases were filed between Tuesday night and Wednesday noon. Among the 195 accused, 45 were named and the rest  unnamed, said Abul Kalam Azad, Officer In-charge (OC) of Sitakunda Police Station. Read:Eviction drive at Salimpur: Local residents block Dhaka-Ctg highway for 5 hrs On Tuesday, thousands of people from Sitakunda’s Jongol Salimpur and Alinagar areas blocked the busy Dhaka-Chattogram highway protesting the local administration’s attempts to evict them from their lands and disconnecting electricity and water supply lines to their houses. The blockade created a 30-kilometer long tailback on both sides of the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, the country’s main economic lifeline. Thousands of commuters had to undergo immense sufferings due to the gridlock. Around 5:00pm, a clash began between the protesters and the police when the latter tried to put an end to the blockade. A chase and counter-chase along with hurling of brickbats turned the area into a battlefield. Police used tear gas and mortar shells which finally dispersed the protestors.

A Narail court on Monday placed five people who were arrested Sunday in a case filed over vandalising Hindu houses and shops in Narail over a Facebook post on remand for three days . Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Morshedul Alam passed the order after investigation officer in the case Mizanur Rahman produced the accused before the court and appealed for seven day in remand. The remanded are Masum Billah,32, son of Sadekur Rahman, Md Sayed Sheikh, 25, son of Aminuddin, Rezaul Sheikh, 40, son of Barik Sheikh, Rasel Mridha, 38, son of Eshak Sheikh, and Kabir Gazi, 40, son of Azizul Gazi. The accused were arrested on Sunday night after a case was filed against 250 anonymous people in connection with the vandalism of houses and shops and attacks on two temples at Sahapara village in Lohagara upazila, said Abu Hena Milon, Officer-in-Charge of Lohagara police station. Also read: Narail vandalism: College student put on 3-day remand On Friday, an angry mob went on a rampage in Lohagara upazila of Narail district damaging at least two houses of the Hindu community and several shops at Digholia Bazar following the Facebook post by a youth named Akash Saha. According to police, the college student belonging to the Hindu community posted a remark on Facebook hurting religious sentiments of Muslims on Friday. As the news spread like wildfire, a group of local people thronged Digholia Bazar and vandalised two houses and six shops that night. They also vandalised chairs and sound boxes of Shahapara temple and tin roof of Akhrabari temple during the mayhem. Later police rushed to the spot and took control of the situation. Also read: Narail vandalism: Youth held over Facebook post ‘hurting religious sentiment’ A case was filed against Akash Shaha for hurting religious sentiment by Salah Uddin Kachi Sardar from Dighalia village at Lohagra police station on Saturday. Akash Shaha was arrested from Khulna on the same night and was placed on a three-day remand by a Narail court on Monday.

Narail court has placed college student Akash Saha on a three-day remand in a case over a Facebook post that allegedly hurt religious sentiment in Lohagara upazila of the district. Senior Judicial Magistrate Morshedul Alam passed order on Sunday after investigating officer of the case Makfur Rahman, also  sub-inspector (SI) of Lohagara police station, sought a seven-day remand to interrogate him. Police arrested Akash Saha from Khulna Saturday night. Besides, another case was filed against 200 to 250 people at Lohagara police station on Sunday night in connection with the vandalism of houses and shops and attacks on two temples in Sahapara, said Sheikh Abu Hena Milon, officer-in-charge of the police station. Read: Narail vandalism: Youth held over Facebook post ‘hurting religious sentiment’ On Friday, an angry mob went on a rampage in Lohagara upazila of Narail district damaging at least two houses of the Hindu community and several shops at Digholia Bazar following the Facebook post by the youth. Haran Chandra Pal, officer-in-charge of Lohagara police station, said the college student belonging to the Hindu community posted a remark on Facebook hurting religious sentiments on Friday. As the news spread like wildfire, a group of local people thronged Digholia Bazar and vandalised two houses and six shops that night. They also set one of these houses on fire over the issue, the OC said. They also vandalised chairs and sound boxes of Shahapara temple and tin roof of Akhrabari temple during the mayhem. On information, police rushed to the spot and fired in the air to bring the situation under control. Additional police forces were deployed in the area to avert further trouble.

Police arrested secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Rajshahi metropolitan unit on Friday in a case filed over vandalism. The arrestee is Imaz Uddin Mandal, absconding accused of a vandalism case filed with Poba police station, said Rajshahi Metropolitan police in a press briefing on Saturday. He was arrested around 5 pm on Friday from in front of a mosque in Terokhadia area during a drive conducted by a team of Detective Branch of police. The arrestee and his associates were holding secret meetings to plan anti-state propaganda and vandalism acts, said police. READ: 5 Jamaat leaders arrested in Pabna Legal actions will be taken against the accused, they said. A total of 35 case have been filed against the accused for terrorist activities, vandalism and conspiring against the government, said police at the briefing.

At least 25 people were injured in clashes between the supporters of rival candidates ahead of the union parishad (UP) polls in Netrokona. The incidents took place Wednesday and Thursday in Dakshin Bishiura, Lokkhiganj unions of Netrokona Sadar upazila and Singdha and Raipur unions of Barhatta upazila, according to police. Complaints and counter-complaints were lodged at Netrokona Model Police Station in this connection. The law enforcers visited the spots Thursday. Also read: 1 killed, dozens wounded in Faridpur UP polls violence According to local sources, Mohammad Abu Bakar Siddique, Awami League candidate for the Dokkhin Bishiura union parishad election and also ruling party president of the area, got his party's "boat" symbol. Rebel candidate Abul Kalam, the former chairman of the union, got the "motorcycle" symbol. After receiving the symbols, the supporters of the two candidates started electioneering. As they came across each other at the Dokkhin Bishiura Bazaar, a fight broke out between them, resulting in the injury of 15 people. At that time, chairs, tables, furniture, photo frames with pictures of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina were shattered and posters of ruling party candidates were torn down. Md Bachchu Mia, a supporter of Abu Bakar, said, "Supporters of rebel candidate [Kalam] carried out the attack and vandalised the office furniture and damaged photos of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. " Also read: UP polls: Chairman candidate shot dead in Rangamati However, Kalam said: "None of my supporters did that. Supporters of the Awami League candidate planned the incident themselves. The people of the area are well aware of this." On the same day, SM Shafiqul Quader Suja, district BNP leader and current chairman, received the "eyeglass" symbol, for the Lokkhiganj union parishad election at 8:30pm. When his supporters went out to persuade people to vote for him in the election, Awami League candidate Azharul Haque Tuhin's men attacked them at the union's Sultangati Bazaar, leaving five injured. During electioneering of Atiqur Rahman Raju, Awami League's rebel candidate from Barhatta's Raipur union and incumbent chairman, Thursday morning, supporters of Ali Akbar Talukder, the candidate for "boat" symbol, vandalised their rival's autorickshaws and mics. The residence of BNP electoral candidate Sujan Chowdhury was vandalised and looted Wednesday night in Snigdha of Barhatta. The attackers took away Tk3.70 lakh and injured five people. The BNP leader claimed that the Awami League candidate's men attacked his house. Akbar Ali Munsi, Netrokona's superintendent of police, said: "There have been some isolated incidents [of violence and vandalism] in different parts of the district ahead of the polls. Police already visited the spots. Action will be taken upon completion of investigations into the incidents." Netrokona Deputy Commissioner Kazi Mohammad Abdur Rahman said, "We are holding talks with the electoral candidates to prevent violence during and in the aftermath of the elections. However, some unwanted incidents already occurred."

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said some enthusiastic media and individuals are unfortunately spreading cooked-up stories of deaths and rapes on religious minorities basically to embarrass the Sheikh Hasina government that is committed to religious harmony. He said all the perpetrators have been arrested and are now in police custody while the houses that were burned down have been rebuilt and everyone got compensation. “Till to-date six people died during recent religious violence,” Dr Momen said in a message shared with the media. Read: HC orders judicial probe into attacks on Hindus in 6 districts Among the dead, he said, four are Muslims and they were killed by police when they tried to torch the houses of the Hindu community, and two Hindus died - one a normal death and another by drowning. “None was raped and not a single Mandir was torched or destroyed. However, a couple of deities or Goddesses were vandalized,” he said. In recent years, Dr Momen said, there has been a proliferation of Puja venues in every place, including individual houses, as the government pays money for every Puja venue and there is a shortage of police personnel to monitor all of them on a 24/7 days a week. Also read: Communal violence: Citizens demand exemplary punishment for perpetrators To avoid such incidents of abuse, he said, the Puja organizers should not leave their venues unattended. The Foreign Minister said a drug-addict person reportedly left a copy of the Holy Quran near the foot of a deity when there was no worshipper or organizer at the Puja venue and another person took a photo of it and put it up on the social media Facebook that sparked outrage leading to vandalism and ransacking.

Police arrested four Jamaat-e-Islami leaders including Joypurhat district Ameer  (chief) and secretary of the organization on Monday from Kalai upazila. The detainees were identified as district Jamaat Ameer Dr Fazlur Rahman Sayeed, 58, Secretary Golam kibria,53, Kalai upazila Jamaat Ameer Munsur Rahman,49, and former Ameer Nuruzzaman Sarkar,63. Officer-in-charge of Kalai police station 0Selim Malik said, tipped off that some Jamaat members will hold a secret meeting at the ground floor of Abdus Samad Talukdar Market in Kalai upazila they conducted a raid and nabbed those four leaders. Also read: 1 arrested in Joypurhat over vandalism of Hindu temples The leaders had gathered for planning a vandalism attack, said the OC. Case filing is under process against the Jamaat men under the Special Powers Act, he said. However, each of them has multiple cases of vandalism against their names, said OC Selim. Also read: Info Minister blames BNP Jamaat for recent anti-Hindu violence