Mob in Bangladesh torches over 60 houses of Hindu community over Facebook post

Violence in Bangladesh against the country’s Hindu minority, which began last week for the alleged dismissal of the Koran during the Puja Durga celebration in Cumilla, continued as a house that attacked houses belonging to community members in the village in Rangpur’s Pirgansj Upazila. The triggers of violence, police said, are Facebook posts with “rude content religiously,” believed to have been made by a Hindu.

According to Mohammad Sadequl Islam, Chairman of the Union Parishad local, around 65 houses were burned during the attack on Sunday night, producing at least 20 houses that were completely burned. The attackers, Islam accused, coming from the local unit of Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) and his Islamic Chhatra Shibir wing.

Meanwhile, talking about the attack, police senior police officer Mohammad Kamruzzaman said that the army arrived in the place immediately after tension was installed, and looked after the homes of Hindus. “We can save his house but the attackers burned around 15 to 20 nearby houses,” the officer said.

Attack targeting Hindu continues in Bangladesh despite the country’s main leadership noted. While Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has vowed to punish the perpetrators regardless of their religion, the Minister of Houses Asaduzzaman Khan said on Sunday that the attack on Pantga Puja’s pandal was “pre-plan.” Those who were found involved will be given a “exemplary” sentence, Khan said.