Dhaka : Minister of Home Affairs of Bangladesh Asaduzzaman Khan terms attack on Hindu Temple ‘pre-planned.’ He said that said these attacks were aimed at destroying the communal harmony in Bangladesh. His statement came after the Bangladesh police booked more than 4,000 individuals in connection with the violence that rocked the country in the last few days.
This came after multiple cases have been filed against hundreds of named and unnamed people for the attacks in Comilla on Wednesday, Dhaka Tribune reported.
When asked about the reason behind the incident in Comilla, the minister said, “We’ll make it public once we get all the evidence and those who were involved in it will be given exemplary punishment.” The minister further said that no incident has been reported since Saturday night.
“Not only in Comilla, but attempts were also made to destabilize the country previously through communal violence in Ramu and Nasirnagar,” Khan was quoted as saying by Dhaka Tribune.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), meanwhile, claimed on Sunday that the violence during Durga Puja in Bangladesh is part of a systematic attack on religious minority groups and the situation calls for implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) in West Bengal.
The alleged defamation of the Holy Quran and subsequent attacks on the Hindus in Comilla were premeditated and aimed at destroying the communal harmony in Bangladesh, the Home Minister said.
“It appears to us that it was a motivated act instigated by a vested group,” he added.
“No incident has been reported since Saturday night. Our security forces are working patiently based on intelligence information. Those who are trying to destroy communal peace will not succeed,” Mr Khan added.
The Home Minister’s remarks came after Wednesday’s communal violence that broke out in several places in Bangladesh after news broke on social media about the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran at a Durga Puja venue on the bank of Nanuar Dighi.
CAA offers citizenship to non-Muslims who entered India from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh before 2015. Its critics, among whom chief minister Mamata Banerjee is a prominent face, insist that it is discriminatory as it leaves out Muslims and links citizenship to faith in a secular country.
The violence broke out in Bangladesh on Friday over the alleged desecration of the Quran at a pandal during Durga Puja festivities. Many pandals and temples – including the Iskcon temple – were attacked. The shops and houses of Hindus were also allegedly vandalised.
Clashes took place in Chandpur, Chittagong, Gazipur, Bandarban, Chapainawabganj, and Moulvibazar and resulted in several casualties, reported Dhaka Tribune.
One person was killed and 17 others, including the officer-in-charge of Begumganj police station, injured, according to the police.
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