The Bangladesh Police on Wednesday (October 20) identified the man who placed Quran in the Durga Pooja Pandal in Comilla on October 13. Iqbal Hossain, 35, son of Nur Ahmed Alam, had kept Quran in the Durga Pooja Pandal in Comilla on October 13. The police are yet to arrest Hossain.
“I hope the prime suspect in the Comilla incident will be arrested soon… he has been changing locations frequently to avoid getting caught. We’ll be able to unfold the Comilla incident once he’s arrested,” The Dhaka Tribune quoted Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal.
Hossain’s family confirmed that he is absconding and changing hideouts frequently to avoid arrest. The police scanned through multiple CCTV footage to ascertain the identity of Hossain.
The Islamists went on a rampage after the news of the desecration of the Quran spread. In the ensuing violence, mobs of Muslims targeted Durga Pooja Pandals all over the country and attacked Hindu houses and temples, too. A mob of over 200 Muslims attacked the ISKCON temple in Noakhali on October 15, when the Hindus were celebrating Dussehra. Ten devotees were also killed.
On October 17, ISKCON issued a statement saying, “ISKCON calls upon the Bangladesh government to take swift action to bring an end to the violence against minorities that has undermined the peace and well-being of Bangladeshi society and to take tangible steps to ensure the long-term safety and well-being of all Bangladeshi citizens.”
Since the violence targeting Hindus started, ISKCON has been protesting and demanding action against the culprits.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) launched a nationwide protest on Wednesday (October 20) to demand swift action against the Islamists targeting Hindus in Bangladesh. It had also demanded that the United Nations send a Peace Keeping Force to Bangladesh to protect Hindus. The VHP asked the Union government to talk tough with the Bangladesh government and send a fact-finding team of MPs to ascertain the situation on the ground.
“The atrocities being committed by the radical Islamic Jihadists and fundamentalists on Hindus can only be compared with the brutality of the Nazis. There is no sign of a stop to the sequence of brutal atrocities against Hindus. Now the UNO should take the initiative in this matter and send its Peace Keeping Force to Bangladesh without any delay for the protection of the badly afflicted minority native Hindus there,” Dr. Surendra Jain, Joint General Secretary of the VHP, had said.
Dr. Jain had added, “It is a challenge for the entire world community as to how to stop these barbaric persecutions in Bangladesh. The Government of Bharat can not shy away from its responsibility. The Government of Bangladesh should also fulfil its responsibility by ensuring the safety and security of life and property of all its citizens with complete fairness, objectivity and without any discrimination.”
ISKCON has called for a global protest on Saturday (October 23) to highlight the atrocities committed by Islamists against Hindus in Bangladesh.
