On Friday (November 19), locals nabbed a Muslim man who tried to sneak a copy of the Quran into the Sarbajanin Puja pavilion, reported Dhaka Tribune. The incident took place in the Chowdhury Bazar area in Habibganj town in Sylhet Division of Bangladesh.
The accused was identified as one 25-year-old Mizan, who hailed from Luitapur village in the Begumganj area of the Noakhali Divison. Mizan had been roaming in the area when he tried to enter the Puja pavilion through the back door. On being apprehended by the locals, it was found that he had a copy of the Quran with him.
Given that Islamists had earlier orchestrated anti-Hindu attacks by sneaking in the Holy book into Puja pandal, the locals were quick to hand him over to the police. While speaking about the matter, Habiganj Sardar Model police station Officer-in-charge (OC) Dous Mohammad remarked, “Police are questioning him to know details of his motive.”
Iqbal Hossain, Quran and anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh
In the wee hours of October 13, radical Islamist Iqbal Hossain entered the Nanuar Dighir Par Durga Mandir in Cumilla district of Bangladesh and placed a copy of the Quran on the feet of the idol of Lord Hanuman. His actions triggered a series of violent attacks against the minority Hindu against minority Hindus in the country.
The Hindu community had insisted vehemently that nobody among them had placed the Quran at the Puja Pandal and the incident was a deliberate plan to attack the Hindu community. For over five days, houses and temples of the Hindu community in Bangladesh remained under attack. Videos of broken idols, demolished pandals and Moorti of Maa Durga being thrown in a pond emerged on social media platforms along with other videos of attacks on Hindus.
The police identified Iqbal after analysing video footage at the puja venue, informed Comilla Superintendent of Police (SP) Farooq Ahmed. On October 21 night, the Cox’s Bazar police arrested the accused Iqbal Hossain at around 11 pm. The development was confirmed by the additional DIG (Crime and Operations) of Chattogram Range Zakir Hossain Khan to the Daily Star. Hossain was handed over to the Cumilla police for further probe in the matter.
After analysing the CCTV footage, it was also found that the accused incited people to commit violence in the morning and gave hate speeches against Hindus. Faruk Ahmed, SP (Cumilla district), added that 12 CCTV footage has been collected, 10 of which showed Iqbal walking with the copy of the Quran between 2:10 and 3:10 am.
