5 arrested in Bangladesh for attacking Hindu temple, homes

Five people have been arrested in Bangladesh for their involvement in an attack on Hindu temple and homes.

Five persons have been arrested for their involvement in last week's attack on the houses and temple of the Hindu community in southwestern Bangladesh over a Facebook post, a media report said on Monday.

A mob vandalised a temple, shops and several homes of the Hindu community in the Dighalia Bazar area of Lohagara upazila of Narail on Friday after a Hindu boy posted something deemed offensive on Facebook, triggering anger among Muslims.

Five persons were arrested on Sunday for their role in the violence, police said.

On Monday, a local court placed the suspects on a three-day police remand, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

Also read: Hindu man’s home set on fire in Bangladesh over Facebook post on Islam

Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Morshedul Alam passed the order after investigation officer in the case Mizanur Rahman produced the accused before the court and appealed for seven days in remand.The suspects are identified as Masum Billah (32), Md Sayed Sheikh (25), Rezaul Sheikh (40), Rasel Mridha (38), and Kabir Gazi (40).Narail Superintendent of Police Probir Kumar Roy earlier said that two cases have been filed in this incident so far.On Saturday night, 20-year-old college student Akash Saha was detained over the Facebook post.Haran Chandra Paul, an inspector at the local police station, said the young man posted something offensive on Facebook, triggering anger among Muslims.A police officer said that Salahuddin Kochi of Dighlia village had filed a case against Akash on Jul 15, accusing him of belittling Islam.Police forces have been deployed in the area to prevent further violence.Attacks on religious minorities in Muslim-majority Bangladesh are increasing and many of them happened after rumours or fake posts spread through social media.Last year, some Hindu temples in Bangladesh were vandalised by unidentified Muslim bigots during the Durga Puja celebrations, prompting the government to deploy paramilitary forces in 22 districts after four people were killed and many others injured in riots.According to a report by legal rights group Ain O Salish Kendra, 3,679 attacks were carried out on the Hindu community in Bangladesh between January 2013 and September 2021.