In Bangladesh, Muslim mob vandalised a temple, a grocery store and several houses belonging to members of the Hindu community in the Sahapara area of Lohagara, Narail, reports The Daily Star. The police said that a Facebook post by an 18-year-old triggered the mob, who went on a rampage after the Jumma Namaz on Friday (July 15).
The mob, at first, threw stones after which they broke into the Sahapara temple and broke the furniture kept inside the premises. They attacked and vandalised a grocery store belonging to the father of the teenager who published the Facebook post that supposedly hurt their sentiments. The irate Muslim mob then went on to vandalise the Hindu teenager’s house and several others in the vicinity.
It took until late at night for the Bangladeshi police to get things under control, who used tear gas and fired empty shells to disperse the angry mob.
According to reports, none of the attackers has yet been booked nor any sort of action has been taken against the Ismalists, however, the police have gone ahead and arrested the Hindu youth’s father from his house later in the evening. The youth, Akash Saha, son of Ashok Saha of Sahapara, who allegedly wrote the post managed to flee the area.
Azgar Ali, the Upazila nirbahi officer, and Haran Chandra Paul, officer-in-charge of Lohagara Police Station, visited the village later in the evening to take stock of the situation. They said that extra police forces had been deployed in the area to prevent further violence.
Speaking about the incident, Narail Superintendent of Police Prabir Kumar Roy said, “We’re investigating the incident. Those responsible for the violence will face action. The situation is normal for now.”
Hindus living under constant threat in Bangladesh
Attacks on the minorities in Bangladesh have continued unabated. In the month of April this year, a Hindu teacher in Munshiganj, Bangladesh, has been arrested after several students protested against him over charges of defaming the Prophet Muhammed and insulting Islam during science classes. According to reports, the incident occurred at Binodpur Ram Kumar High School in Munshiganj. A complaint was registered against Hridoy Chandra Mondal, upon which the police took action and arrested him.
Mondal’s family had alleged that they are being harassed and ostracised by the community following the allegations against him. Even his son had stopped going to school because of social harassment.
In fact, the above incident is only one of several such cases of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh by Islamists. In a Muslim-majority nation where they constitute less than 10% of the total population, Hindus remain vulnerable to attacks by radical Islamic terrorists. Opindia has documented 100s of such cases of persecution and ill-treatment meted out to the minority community. Given Bangladesh’s track record of human rights violations, attacks on Hindus remain a routine affair.
Last year, while blaming the Hindu community for the desecration of the Quran, the Islamists in Bangladesh had gone on a rampage during the Durga Puja festival. They attacked the Ram Thakur Ashram and vandalised 10 temples and puja pandals including the ones in Mongola, Nabadurga, Bijoya, Trishul and Koatbari Puja Pandal. About 20 houses were attacked in Nalchira, Chayanibazar, Begumgonj, Choumohoni and Sonaimuri. At the same time, 9 temples and puja pandals were vandalised at Choumohoni in Noakhali.
