Brahmanbarhia Hindu attack 'mastermind' Ankhi arrested in Dhaka

The alleged mastermind behind the attacks on Hindus at Brahmanbarhia's Nasirnagar has been arrested in Dhaka. 

Brahmanbarhia Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 5 Jan 2017, 10:13 AM
Updated : 5 Jan 2017, 11:55 AM

Dewan Atiqur Rahman Ankhi, an Awami League leader who is the chairman of Haripur Union Parishad, was nabbed at Vatara on Thursday afternoon.

"He was arrested in the Vatara zone at 3pm. Police are taking him to Brahmanbarhia," said Nasirnagar police SI Ishtiaque Ahmed.  

He is a former district committee member of the Juba League, the ruling party's youth wing, Ahmed said. "Ankhi also runs a liquor cartel."

At least 15 temples and more than a hundred homes were vandalised and looted at Nasirnagar Upazila over an image posted on Facebook which 'insulted Islam'.

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

The Hindu households were attacked using 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 rivals.

Police have been looking for Ankhi who had gone into hiding. His arrest follows the capture of two of his associates on Sunday.