Protesters demand resignation of Minister Sayedul for hate attacks in Brahmanbarhia

Brahmanbarhia MP Muhammed Sayedul Hoque should resign as minister over the hate attacks on Hindus in his constituency, several organisations have said.

The organisations of religious minorities also demanded the removal of Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Chowdhury Moazzem Hossain from Nasirnagar where the attacks took place.

The demands were made from a human chain demonstration in front of the capital’s National Press Club on Friday.

The protesters then put up a road blockade.

UNO Moazzem made headlines after he charged at journalists who asked him if the administration neglected to secure Hindu temples and homes vandalised and looted on Oct 30.

The minister, who was then present, accused the journalists of 'exaggerating' the incident. MP Sayedul represents Brahmanbarhia-1 in Parliament.

Muhammed Sayedul Hoque

“Minister Sayedul was in the area just few days after the attacks. There was another attack after his visit which proves that he is involved,” said Taposh Kumar Pal, general secretary of Bangladesh Pooja Celebrations Committee while addressing a brief protest rally.     

“The attacks could have been avoided if UNO Moazzem had refused them permission for holding meetings that day. We demand his removal.”   

Fifteen temples and more than a hundred homes were ransacked over an alleged Facebook post insulting Islam. The local authorities have since been criticised for negligence.

The Hindus came under attack after ‘incitement comments’ were made from a demonstration held outside the Brahmanbarhia Press Club in protest of the Facebook post.

UNO Moazzem and Nasirnagar police OC Abdul Kader were present in the gathering.

OC Abdul was later withdrawn for ‘the sake of a fair investigation’.

But Hindus at Nasirnagar came under fresh attacks when unknown assailants set fire to seven structures including temples in at least four households at dawn on Friday, despite so-called security measures taken following the earlier attack.

Police on Thursday remanded in custody one Rasraj Das who is allegedly behind the Facebook post ‘denigrating Islam’.