Bangladesh deploys BGB troops to 22 districts after attacks on Hindu temples

The government has deployed Border Guard Bangladesh personnel to 22 districts after multiple attacks on Hindu temples during Durga Puja celebrations.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 14 Oct 2021, 07:09 AM
Updated : 14 Oct 2021, 07:09 AM

“BGB personnel have been deployed to ensure security during Durga Puja at the request of deputy commissioners and under instructions from the home ministry,” Lt Col Faizur Rahman, BGB director of operations, said on Thursday.

“So far we have deployed BGB personnel to 22 districts, including Cumilla and Narsingdi, as necessary.”

Troops can also be deployed to the capital if the local administration makes a request, he added.

A local temple became the centre of a social media storm on Wednesday for allegedly besmirching the Quran. As tensions simmered in Cumilla, the administration and police tried to calm the situation but to little avail. Police and members of the local administration were caught in the ensuing clash.

In an emergency notice later in the day, the religious affairs ministry said it had come across news that the central religious text of Islam had been 'disrespected' in Cumilla.

But the ministry urged members of the public not to take the law into their own hands over the incident. It also reiterated calls to maintain communal harmony and peace.

Following the incident in Cumilla, vandalism has also been reported at temples in Chandpur’s Hajiganj, Chattogram’s Banshkhali and Cox’s Bazar's Pekua.