A month after deadly clashes, Islamist outfit plans another rally in Bhola

A month after a conference over 'blasphemous' Facebook posts by a Hindu youth boiled over into violent clashes between angry Muslims and police, leaders of an Islamist outfit are planning to stage another meeting in Bhola.

Biplab Chandra Baidya Shuvo, a Hindu youth whose Facebook ID was reportedly hacked to spread the religious slur, is still in prison.

At least four people died and 100 others, including policemen, were injured in the violence that erupted after the protest rally under the banner of 'Muslim Tawhidi Janata' at Bhola's Borhanuddin on Oct 20.

“The situation in Bhola is better now. But an organisation named Tawhidi Janata has applied for permission to hold a rally on Nov 23,” Bhola's Deputy Commissioner Sarkar Mohammed Kaiser told bdnews24.com.

The proposed rally at Bhola Sadar High School premises will commemorate those who lost their lives in the clashes last month with religious leaders from different districts presiding over a prayer session, according to a petition by the organisers.

But police are yet to grant permission for the event, said Kaiser.

In the aftermath of the hostilities, a five-strong probe panel led by Barishal Range DIG Md Shafiqul Islam looked into the incident and submitted a report to the Police Headquarters on Nov 2.

The panel's recommendations will inform the next steps taken by the authorities, said Assistant Inspector General Md Sohel Rana.

The panel examined the incident to see if there was any negligence on the part of the police in their handling of the situation, Additional Superintendent of Police Mir Md Safin Mahmud, also a committee member, told bdnews24.com on Tuesday. They spoke to local public representatives and ordinary people to glean a clearer understanding of what transpired, he said.

“The committee drew eight recommendations to prevent such unfortunate events caused by Facebook posts,” he said, adding the probe panel also analysed video footage of the incident.

Three cases were started in connection with the religious slur, the clashes and the subsequent attacks on the Hindu community in Bhola. But the authorities have yet to make any notable progress in these cases.

Police also arrested Md Emon and Rafsan Islam Sharif alias Shakil along with Biplab in a case filed under the Digital Security Act for spreading malicious content on social media.

Biplab, the son of farmer Chandra Mohan Baidya and housewife Basanti Rani Baidya, sat for his degree exams from Naziur Rahman Degree College this year.

On Oct 18, Biplab filed a general diary with Borhanuddin Police Station alleging that his Facebook account was hacked to spread the contentious posts.

He further claimed that the hackers accessed his Facebook Messenger and published a screenshot of slanderous comments on social media, which subsequently sparked a firestorm of protests online and offline, culminating in the clashes on Oct 20.

Two of the four people killed in the violence had their heads smashed with heavy objects, police said, citing doctors.

“Some issues can be found locally while for others, we need to contact Facebook's central authority. Police are yet to confirm whether Biplab’s Facebook ID was genuinely hacked, and who did it,” said SP Kaiser.

The police headquarters did not provide any statement on the matter as the  official who is coordinating with the Facebook authorities is currently travelling.

Law enforcement sent all necessary information to the Facebook authorities and the hackers will be identified in a day or two, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal had said earlier.

Police have arrested 13 people in the three cases until now, said Borhanuddin Police Station chief Enamul Haque. The investigation is still in progress, he said.