Protests erupt in Dhaka, amid Muslim-Hindu tensions
ABC News
Thousands of protesters in Bangladesh’s capital have clashed with police, amid Muslim-Hindu tensions in the country
DHAKA, Bangladesh -- Thousands of protesters in Bangladesh's capital Friday clashed with police, as security forces used tear gas and batons against demonstrators angry over what they perceived as an image insulting Islam that had gone viral over social media.
Police said that the street protests began after the main Friday prayers at the Baitul Mukarram mosque in the center of Dhaka.
Demonstrators gathered to protest images that earlier emerged on social media of a copy of the Quran — Islam’s holy book — at the feet of a statue in a Hindu temple in eastern Bangladesh.
The clashes in the capital city follow reported incidents of vandalism at Hindu temples across other parts of the Muslim-majority country. The rise in communal tensions came as the minority Hindus celebrated the last day of their largest religious festival —the Durga Puja.
