Govt engineer admits to inciting arson attacks on Hindus in Rangpur

A government engineer has admitted to inciting arson attacks on the homes and businesses of Hindus in Rangpur following an alleged blasphemous Facebook post, police say.

Fazlar Rahman, sub-assistant engineer of Rangpur District Council, gave a confessional statement before Rangpur Senior Judicial Magistrate’s Court on Thursday after being grilled by police for 12 days, Gangacharha Police Station Sub-Inspector Mister Ali said.

Fazlar is a resident of Mominpur, a village adjacent to the Hindu neighbourhood of Thakurparha, where the attacks were carried out on Nov 10 last year.  He has been arrested for his alleged involvement.

SI Mister said Fazlar is one of the five people who instigated thousands of Muslims to attack the Hindu homes after protests against the blasphemous Facebook post allegedly uploaded by a Hindu man. One of the protesters was killed in police firing.

Fazlar had gone into hiding after the incident but police arrested him in Dhaka’s Shyamoli on Dec 21.

Police have named 159 people and over 2000 unidentified ones in the two cases started over the attacks, which left at least nine homes completely burnt down and valuables of the Hindu families looted.