The participants observed that the communal attacks were attempts to destroy the ideology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the spirit of the 1975 Libertion War. …reports Sumi Khan
A total of 89 organisations in Bangladesh have expressed solidarity against the recent communal violence in the country that erupted earlier this month during which five people lost their lives.
The groups expressed solidarity with Sampriti Bangladesh, a citizens’ platform promoting secularism, which has demanded taking quick legal actions against all the perpetrators of the violence that broke out on October 13 due to the placing of a Quran at a Durga Puja mandap.
Pijush Bandyopadhyay, convenor of Sampriti Bangladesh, staged a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka on Monday during which the organisation leaders put forward seven proposals aimed at resisting fundamentalism in the country.
The participants observed that the communal attacks were attempts to destroy the ideology of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the spirit of the 1975 Libertion War.
The rally was addressed by Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Md Akhtaruzzaman, former Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University Vice Chancellor Kamrul Hassan Khan, Dhaka University Teachers Association chief Professor Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan, Chandpur Science & Technology University Vice Chancellor Nasim Akhtar, Projonmo 71 President Asif Munir Tonmoy, among others.
The speakers demanded the quickest possible actions against those involved in the recent and past communal clashes, prompt actions from the administration, repair of the damaged temples and houses.
16 sent to custody
A court in Bangladesh’s Chittagong court on Monday sent, to one day police custody, 16 accused in a case filed over vandalising a Durga Puja mandap and attacking police personnel.
Of the arrestees, Habibullah Mizan has given a confessional statement before the court.
Police have so far arrested 100 people over the incident.
Metropolitan Magistrate Hossain Mohammad Reza passed the remand order after hearing the police plea that sought a seven-day remand to question the accused, Chattogram Metropolitan Police’s Additional Deputy Commissioner, Prosecution, Md Kamrul Hasan told IANS.
After the Friday noon prayers on October 15, hundreds of aggressive people emerged from the Anderkilla Jame Mosque, charged into the J.M. Sen Hall puja mandap and tried to break in.
The angry mob hurled stones and tore down posters and banners at the spot.
To contain the situation, police fired blank shots and baton charged the mob and at one point, the mob attacked the police as well.
Kotwali police station Sub Inspector Akash Mahmud Farid filed a case over the incident the following day, naming 83 people as accused. Another 500 unnamed people were also named as suspects in the case.
