Jamaat men attack Hindus in Noakhali

Activists of Jamaat-e-Islami on Thursday attacked temples and houses of the Hindus at Noakhali’s Begumganj.

After Jamaat executive council member Delwar Hossain Sayedee was awarded death sentence for 1971 war crimes, the attacks there were carried out from a Jamaat procession protesting the verdict.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 earlier in the day had judged that the Jamaat policymaker was to hang for his crimes against humanity including genocide, murder, rape, arson, loot and persecution during the Liberation War.

Right after the verdict, leaders and activists of Jamaat and its student affiliate Islami Chhatra Shibir took out the procession at Begumganj’s Rajganj Bazar.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Begumganj circle Mahbub Alam Khan said attacks were carried out from that procession and the Hindu temples at Rajganj Bazar, Thakur Barhi and Bainnabarhi areas were vandalised.

The attackers also set the residences of Bhuiyan and Banik families on fire, leaving six people injured.

ASP Khan said additional police forces were deployed later.

Meanwhile, activists of Jamaat supporters clashed with police in Noakhali town following the verdict. Shibir activists detonated several crude bombs at that time.

Acting SP Mahbub Rashid said the Shibir men also vandalised 12 buses and torched four more at the Al-Amin Bus Depot at Dattar Haat.

He said police fired at least a hundred rounds from the shotguns to take control of the situation.