Hefazat-e-Islam supporters attacked a Hindu village in Shalla Upazila of Sunamganj on Wednesday morning. The purported reason for the attack was a Facebook post by a Hindu man criticizing Hefazat-e-Islam leader General Mawlana Mufti Mamunul Haque.
The pre-planned attack took place after Hefazat-e-Islam’s Amir Allama Junaid Babunagari, Joint-Secretary General Mawlana Mufti Mamunul Haque and several other central leaders attended a conference at Derai Upazila on Monday, where they announced that the Indian PM would not be welcomed in Bangladesh and they will not allow him to inaugurate the statue of ‘Bangabandhu’ during his visit.
Enraged by Mawlana Mamunul Haque’s speech at the conference, a young Hindu man from Naogaon, Shalla Upazila allegedly made a Facebook post criticizing Mamunul and other speakers. Attackers allege that a morphed photo of Mamunul was also shared, a charge which the youth denies. He says that his account was hacked and he was not able to access his profile when the photo was shared.
The content of the post in his name was shared widely and soon a 1000-strong mob with crude weapons attacked the Hindu village on Wednesday. Hefazat leaders in the area had already staged a protest on Tuesday night, accusing the post and the Hindu youth of inciting religious violence. Soon, the Hindus of the village handed over the youth to the local police.
According to local reports, nearly 100 houses were vandalized in the incident.
Though Bangladesh police say that the situation is calm and most of the Hindus who fled the area had returned, sources say most Hindus prefer to defer their return and many are contemplating relocating to a safer place permanently.
Bangladesh Chhatra League Dhaka University chapter on Thursday staged a protest rally demanding the immediate arrest of those who carried out the attack on the minority Hindu community ain Sunamganj.
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