Locals, including madrassah students and activists of Bangladesh Nationalist Party and different Islamist organisations, last night got together in groups to defend Hindu property, including their religious temples and monasteries, amidst continued attacks on minority communities.
The attacks occurred amidst police stations being attacked in many places as hundreds of thousands of people celebrated the downfall of Sheikh Hasina on August 5 that marked the end of
15 years of her authoritarian regime.
The police, whom the people of the uprising who brought down Hasina considered collaborators of the immediate past repressive regime, was busy saving their own back while army patrol was scarce.
鈥楾his is an ideal situation for opportunists to take advantage of,鈥� said Rana Dasgupta, general secretary, Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council.
A social media campaign immediately took off with leaders of the Student Movement against Discrimination, which led the uprising against Hasina, calling on people on Monday afternoon to resist attacks on minority community people.
At least one was killed and scores were injured in the attacks ever since Monday afternoon and hundreds of houses, shops and businesses and temples were torched, vandalised and looted.
The attackers were demanding toll to let the minorities live, the BHBCUC leader Rana alleged, adding that many people were on the run and feared to be evicted from their land and property.
A death was confirmed in Paikpara of Bagherhat where a former school teacher, Mrinal Kanti Chatterjee, 65, was beaten to death in the early hours of Tuesday.
鈥榃hy would we have to die? My father was not involved in politics,鈥� Preonty Chatterjee, the daughter of the deceased, told 抖阴精品.
Ahmadiya Muslim Jama鈥檃t secretary Ahmad Tabshir Choudhury said that 150 Ahmadiyas sheltered in crop fields in Sherpur after an Ahmadiya village was attacked on Tuesday afternoon.
Tabshir said that thousands of religious fanatics and their supporters attacked Ahmadnagar Ahmadiya mosque, Jamia,聽 Jalsa Gah and about 70 houses of Ahmadiyas.
They burnt the central store of the Jalsa Gah, broke the wall of Jamia and mosque and set fire to these, he said, adding that at least 18 Ahmadiyas were injured, including students of Jamia.
The Ahmadiya establishments were also attacked in Rangpur, Rajshahi and Nilphamari.
The destruction and losses could have been bigger had locals not resisted a group of madrassah students from swooping on a mosque at Mathertek of Dhaka City.
鈥楯ust when the madrassah students began pelting stones at our mosque, locals united asking the attackers to go away,鈥� said Tabshir.
Similar resistance saved minorities, particularly Hindus, from attacks in other areas as well, including Sylhet, Sunamganj, Habiganj, Cumilla, Narayanganj and Chandpur.
Local Islamist religious leaders along with BNP activists and madrassah students guarded temples and monasteries in Sunamganj throughout Monday night, including Sunamganj Kali Mandir and the Rama Krishna Ashram.
鈥楴o untoward incident took place so far with locals still guarding Hindu property,鈥� said Kalim Uddin Milon, president, BNP鈥檚 Sunamganj district unit.
BNP鈥檚 central organising secretary GK Gaus confirmed that teams comprising locals and their activists were patrolling streets to protect Hindu houses, temples and monasteries in Habiganj.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Sylhet reported that calls were being made from loudspeakers in mosques asking people to return goods looted from different establishments.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Cumilla reported that several teams of Islami Oikya Parishad protected important Hindu establishments in the town since Monday.
The establishments included Shri Shri Kaitani Kali Mandi on Nazrul Avenue, Ram Thakurer Ashram at Ranir Bazar, Jagannath mandir at Jagannath Dighi, the Kali Mandir at Monohorpur and Shri Durgeswari Mandir at Barura.
The BHBCUC confirmed that Hindus came under attack in 37 to 40 districts by Tuesday afternoon.
Four Churches were also attacked.
Ethnic minority rights activist Dipayon Khisha said that a total of 35 ethnic minority students lived in constant threat of being attacked for their lodging happened to be beside the office of a police commissioner being sporadically attacked in Muhammadpur.
