Masud Rana, a local leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, the main opposition party in the country, has confessed to leading attacks against the Hindu community in Rangpur’s Thakurpara over an alleged blasphemous Facebook post against Islam.
In November last year, a violent mob had attacked the minority Hindu community and set ablaze 30 homes at the village which is only 300 Kms away from Dhaka. The incident had strong parallels with the violence in West Bengal when a violent mob went on a rampage after a teenager posted an allegedly blasphemous post on the social network.
“Masud Rana made a confessional statement before Senior Judicial Magistrate Ariful Islam on Sunday evening. He said he was involved in leading the arson attacks on the Hindu homes,” SI Ali told bdnews24.com on Monday.
Hindus in India have been concerned about the recent developments in the neighbouring country and have expressed their solidarity with their persecuted coreligionists in Bangladesh. The Indian Union Minister had stated that the Bangladesh government had assured them that the victims would be adequately compensated.
However, leftist media outlets insinuated that Hindu Nationalism of the Bharatiya Janata Party inspired them to inquire about the welfare of the victims and labeled a veiled accusation of interfering with the internal affairs of an ally.
Atrocities against the Hindu community has been on the rise in Bangladesh consistent with the radicalization of the youth. Even leaders of the ruling Awami League are allegedly complicit in the persecution of Hindus with Rana Das Dupta, the general secretary of Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist & Christian Unity Council (BHBCUC) accusing leaders of Sheikh Hasina’s party of occupying the properties of the Hindu community and sought the Prime Minister’s intervention in the matter.
