On Monday (30th September), a frenzied Muslim mob laid siege to the Patiya police station in Chittagong district of Bangladesh, demanding that the cops hand over a Hindu boy accused of ‘insulting’ Prophet Muhammad.
The mob, comprising mostly local madrassa students, also attacked an army vehicle after seeing a young boy in civilian clothes and mistaking him for the Hindu victim. An army official was injured in the onslaught.
A 22-year-old Hindu youth named Partha Biswas Pintu was arrested on Monday on charges of committing ‘blasphemy’. A police complaint to the effect was filed by one Kamrul Islam a day earlier, accusing Pintu of making objectionable remarks about Prophet Muhammad on Facebook.
Another Utshab Mandal incident barely averted in #Bangladesh today: #Islamists in Patia, #Chattogram wanted to lynch a #Hindu boy on the trumped-up charge of insulting the Prophet. As Army took him into custody and tried to drive away, the extremists attacked the army vehicle.… pic.twitter.com/5bcqSXGBly
— Arifa Rahman Ruma (@ArifaRahmanRuma) September 30, 2024
On learning about the arrest of a Hindu youth, a mob of radical Muslims gathered outside the Patiya police station. They demanded the handover of Partha Biswas Pintu so that they could lynch him like Utsab Mandal.
However, the police refused to give in to their demands. The madrassa students and local Muslims then vandalised the waiting room of the police station. They also ambushed a car belonging to the Bangladesh Army and injured an official in the process.
Scary visuals of the mob violence have now surfaced on social media. It has now come to light the Muslim mob attacked a total of 2 army vehicles. However, they managed to escape the scene.
Following the incident, a large team of police and army personnel was deployed in the area to prevent any untoward situation.
While speaking about the matter, Patiya Circle SP Ariful Islam remarked, “The crowd gathered outside the police station due to a Facebook post. We arrested the accused earlier in the morning and brought him to justice. The crowd became agitated without understanding the legal process. Additional police and army forces were later deployed, and the situation was brought under control.”
In the meantime, the Hindu youth was produced in a local court. The police sought his remand for further interrogation. The army official, who was attacked by the mob, sustained injuries to his hand and underwent treatment at the emergency department of Patia Upazila Health Complex.
Attack on Utsab Mandal
The present case is reminiscent of the attack on a Hindu boy named Utsab Mandal last month after he was accused of committing blasphemy by a Muslim mob.
Khulna’s Azam Khan Government Commerce College students took him to the office of Khulna Metropolitan Deputy Commissioner (South) on the evening of 4th September
As the word spread about the incident, a large mob gathered at the spot, demanding that the Hindu boy be handed over to them. The mob of 3000-5000 people surrounded the office, calling for instant justice.
Deputy Police Commissioner Tazul said police had assured the mob that a case would be filed against Utsab and that he would be brought to justice through legal means.
But the mob didn’t agree, and assaulted him, leaving him critically injured. Army and Navy personnel arrived at the scene to control the situation.
Despite the presence of police, army and navy forces, the mob managed to break into the DCP office and attacked Utsab Mandal who was held by the police.
It was assumed that he died after the brutal assault. However, ISPR later confirmed that Mandal was alive and out of danger.
Attack on Hindus in Bangladesh
There have been at least 205 attacks on Hindu temples, shops and businesses since the ouster of Sheikha Hasina as Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
OpIndia had reported how a Hindu boy named Utsab Mandal was almost lynched by a Muslim mob on accusations of ‘blasphemy’ in the Sonadanga residential area of Khulna city.
We previously exposed how Muslim students have forced as many as 60 Hindu teachers, professors and government officials to resign from their positions.
Human rights activist and exiled Bangladeshi blogger, Asad Noor, has recently revealed that the minority community is now being coerced into joining ‘Jamaat-e-Islami’.
On 6th September, a procession of Hindu devotees carrying the idol of Lord Ganesha came under attack in the Kadam Mubarak area in Chittagong city of Bangladesh.
