Police were silent during attack on temples, homes in Brahmanbarhia, Hindus say

The Hindus, who came under attack in Brahmanbarhia's Nasirnagar over alleged blasphemy, have alleged police did not take any effective measure to stop the attackers during the vandalism and looting of their temples and houses.

"Police were completely silent during the attack. The incident would not have happened had the police come immediately after the attack started," Duttaparha resident Ripon Dutta says.

Many others from the Hindu communities at Ghoshparha, Gankulparha, Mokalparha, Kashiparha, Namashudraparha, Maliparha, Sheelparha and other areas that saw the attack on Sunday made similar allegations.

Border Guard Bangladesh has been deployed in the area along with police and a communal meeting was organised by the local administration on Monday, but the area inhabited mostly by the Hindus are still in the grip of panic.

"Such a big attack could not have happened if police were active. We are still in fear," Duttabarhi housewife Nilima Dutta told bdnews24.com.

Locals said Nasirnagar's incident started with a Facebook post by one Rasraj Das from Harinberh village. Police detained Rasraj on Friday immediately after the allegation of blasphemy had surfaced against him. He was sent to jail following a court order, SP Mizanur said.

Protests against Rasraj's post were called under the banner of 'Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat' and 'Hifazat-e Islam' in Habiganj district headquarters and Nasirnagar.

Demonstrations were also announced in Habiganj's Madhabpur.

Hundreds of protesters gathered on Sunday afternoon following the announcements and then carried out the attack.

At least 15 temples were vandalised in Nasirnagar and two in Madhabpur. Over 150 houses were also vandalised and looted.

The district administration on Monday formed a three-member committee headed by an additional district magistrate to investigate the attack.

Dattabarhi's Kajal Jyoti Dutta and Barwari Temple priest Nirmal Chowdhury have started two cases against more than 1,000 unidentified persons over the attack.

Police said the nine persons detained after the attack have been shown arrested in the cases.

Sunday's Ahle Sunnat demonstration was reportedly attended by Upazila Chairman ATM Muniruzzaman Sarker, Upazila Executive Officer Chowdhury Moazzem Hossain, and Nasirnagar Police Station OC Abdul Quader.

Though they have claimed that they went to the rally to control the situation, local Awami League leaders have demanded their removal as they blame them for the attack.

Locals said hundreds of attackers, wearing topi, first vandalised the idol of goddess Kali at Duttabarhi and beat up the people in the house.

Duttabarhi's Nilima said the residents took shelter at a neighbour's house.

Amulya Das of Duttaparha said he could not escape the beating by hiding under the bed.

Both Hifazat and Ahle Sunnat have denied responsibility for the attack.

Hifazat's Brahmanbarhia district unit Assistant Publicity Secretary Mufti Enamul Haque told bdnews24.com: "Islam doesn't support these acts. We condemn the attack and demand punishment of those responsible for it."

The district Ahle Sunnat General Secretary Islam Uddin Dulal said, "We demonstrated peacefully. The attack on the Hindus was not carried out from our rally. A certain quarter carried it out to embarrass the government."

Deputy Commissioner Rezwanur Rahman said the victims would be rehabilitated.

Superintendent of Police Md Mizanur Rahman said any official found guilty of negligence of duty will face departmental action.

"Our main work now is to bring things back to normal in Nasirnagar," he said.