Police seek remand of Nasirnagar attack 'mastermind' Ankhi for seven days

Police in Brahmanbarhia have sought a seven-day remand of Dewan Atiqur Rahman Ankhi for allegedly organising the Nasirnagar hate attacks on Hindu homes and temples.

Police south the remand when the accused was produced before the Senior Judicial Magistrate’s Court around 11:45am on Friday, said Nasirnagar Police Station SI Ishtiaque Ahmed.

Ishtiaque, who is investigating the attacks, said police have requested time for 'intensive interrogation' of Ankhi.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Saraf Uddin ordered him to put in jail pending next hearing, Ishtiaque said and added that the court did not set a date for the next remand hearing.

Police brought Ankhi to Brahmanbarhia after his arrest in Dhaka on Thursday.

Ankhi is the chairman of Nasirnagar Upazila’s Haripur Union Parishad and is a former member of the Juba League’s district committee. He also allegedly runs a liquor cartel in the area.

At least 15 temples and hundreds of homes were vandalised and looted at Nasirnagar over a Facebook post reportedly 'insulting Islam'.

Ankhi's involvement in the violence was revealed by a bdnews24.com investigation into the Oct 30 attacks.

The Hindu households were attacked by men who were brought in from Haripur on 14 to 15 trucks. Ankhi is said to have arranged and paid for the trucks which carried the men to the villages.

Local political leaders said supporters of MP RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, who is the head of Awami League's Brahmanbarhia unit, planned the attacks on the Hindu community to create problems for their opponents in the party.

Ankhi’s arrest follows the capture of two of his associates on Sunday.