Amidst the ongoing violence against the Hindu community in Bangladesh over false allegations of blasphemy, radical Islamists attacked Hindus in the Feni district in the Chittagong Division of the country.
Videos have emerged on social media where an Islamist mob attacking Hindus have been spotted.
Visuals from Feni
— Stories of Bengali Hindus (@storiesofBHs) October 16, 2021
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Radical Islamists unleash terror in Feni distrct
BDNews24 reported that the radical Islamists had attacked the Hindu community in Feni district after the latter had taken out demonstrations against the vandalism of Durga pandals and Hindu idols in Chandpur, Cumilla and Noakhali districts in the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh. During the attack orchestrated between 4:30 pm and 11:30 pm on Saturday (October 16), everal temples were looted and vandalised.
Reportedly, the President of the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, Shukdeb Nath Tapan, was attacked by the same Islamist mob near the Joykali temple. The Hindu community was preparing to lead a march from the said temple to the old Dhaka-Chattogram Highway’s Trunk Road. Islamists, who had gathered near Trunk Road Bara Masjid attacked the Hindus with sticks and brickbats. In a bid to control the law and order situation, the cops deployed a large team in the Feni town. They resorted to firing tear gas shells to disperse the unruly mob.
According to Officer-in-Charge (Feni Model Police Station) Nizam Uddin, more than 40 people were injured during the clashes. They were then rushed to the Feni General Hospital. According to Shukdeb, the district administration took time in sending in Border Guard Bangladesh (BGF)and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). The attackers torched a passenger vehicle at Kalipal, hurled crude bombs, vandalised a fire truck and attacked Hindu temples such as JoyKali, Jagannathbari, Kalibari Temple and Gaziganj Ashram.
As per eyewitnesses, the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami named Islami Chhatra Shibir was among the perpetrators. Local activists of the Awami League and its student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League tried to resist the attackers. “We’ve got reports about vandalism of shops. We are working on it,” stated Inspector Monir Hossain (Feni Model Police Station)
Violence in Bangladesh against Hindus under the garb of blasphemy
Brutal attacks, vandalism, looting, and arson had returned to haunt Hindus in Bangladesh’s Noakhali district, as close to 150 households were reportedly attacked and at least three killed in a violent clash on Wednesday (October 13). A day later, a frenzied mob of radical Islamists attacked the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple in the Noakhali district in the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh. The Bangladesh unit of ISKCON lamented that the sculpture of its founder, AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, was burnt down during the arson attack on the temple.
The violence and vandalism took place after a Facebook rumour claiming ‘insult to Quran’ at a Durga Puja pandal went viral. Videos emerged on social media where a mob of enraged Muslims were seen pelting stones and vandalising makeshift Durga Puja pandals and attacking Hindu families in Bangladesh’s Chandpur area. A social media user from Bangladesh stated that the Islamic mob was calling for the burning of a local ISKCON temple. Bangladeshi social media users had stated that under the guise of attacks, rampant loot and molestation of women have also taken place. 2 persons have been found dead in the Chandpur area.
Following the incident, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered the criminals, behind spreading communal attacks and propaganda, to be identified and punished as an example. Meanwhile, back in New Delhi, the external affairs ministry said that it was in touch with the high commission officials and noted the strict action be taken by the Bangladesh government. Since the incident, the Bangladesh police have made over 100 arrests and the probe is still underway.
