More than ten temples were demolished while more than 100 Hindu homes vandalised during latest communal clash over a Facebook post in Nasirnagar upazila of Chittagong’s Brahminbaria district on Sunday. The attack by a mob people reportedly carried out in retaliation to a satirical Facebook post on Masjid-al-Haram, a holy site for Muslims.
More than 100 people have been injured in the attack against Hindu community whereas 15 people have been detained, police officials said.
Around 100 protesters staged demonstrations along Sarail-Nasirnagar-Lakhai highway, demanding that Rasraj Das, believed to have written the post be hanged, Dhaka Tribune reported. Das was later arrested on charges of blasphemy. He was later produced in the court which sent him to jail.
The temples vandalised are Duttobari temple, Nomosomudropara temple, Jagannath temple, Ghoshpara temple and Gouro temple. Brahminbaria’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Mizanur Rehman told the website that around 150-200 people carried out the attack. The police official blamed the members of Jamaat-Shibir to be behind the vandalising act.
On the other hand, the representative of a Hindu organisation claimed that at least 15 temples had been destroyed in the communal attack. He also accused the police of not interfering to stop the arson.
The attack evoked strong reactions across all sections of social media. Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen condemned the attacks.
I wrote Lajja 23 yrs ago. Ppl haven’t yet become secular &civilized. Today hundreds of Hindus r injured, hundreds of Hindu houses vandalized
— taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) October 30, 2016
She also claimed that Rasraj Das did not post anything offensive on Facebook.
Rasraj Das didn’t post the photoshoped pic of Shiva sitting on the Kaba.His fb ID was hacked, someone posted. Rasraj apologized.He’s in Jail pic.twitter.com/ex5Hfv4GVu
— taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) October 31, 2016
Recent attacks on Hindus have triggered fear among the minorities in Bangladesh. In February this year, a 50-year-old Hindu priest was killed in the country’s northern district of Panchagarh. A devotee was also injured in the deadly attack.
In October last year, a Christian pastor was attacked in northwestern part of the country. A month later, an Italian Catholic priest was also assaulted. However, both survived.
