Heightened security surrounds Sunamganj village as fear grips residents

Following an attack on Monglargaon village, the local administration, army and police met with people from all religious and social backgrounds to offer reassurance and ensure peace

Many residents of Sunamganj's Monglargaon have fled to safer locations in fear after allegations of a religious insult on Facebook sparked an attack on the village. Those who stayed behind are under heavy security, with law enforcement and military personnel providing regular reassurance.

Following the incident the previous night, officials from the army, local administration, and police met with the villagers on Wednesday to ensure their safety.

In the afternoon, a meeting was held at the Dowarabazar Upazila council hall, bringing together people from all religions and professions, including the Hindu community. Authorities used the meeting to emphasise the importance of peace and reaffirm their commitment to ensuring everyone’s safety.

Later in the evening, an angry mob in the Dowarabazar area held a protest, demanding the arrest of Akash Das. The procession began at the Upazila headquarters and headed towards Monglargaon. This led to an outbreak of violence and vandalism.

The situation lasted for some time until army and police personnel arrived to restore calm.

“The Facebook comment was made from the ID of Akash Das, a student at Dowarabazar Degree College. The police have verified the authenticity of the claim. A case has been filed under the cyber law, and he has been arrested and sent to court,” Dowarabazar Police Station chief Jahidul Haque told reporters.

AFTERMATH OF ATTACK

When visiting Monglargaon in the afternoon, the presence of army personnel across the village for security caught the eye, along with police officers stationed at various locations. Some villagers were seen walking along the roads, while the law enforcement presence remained heavy throughout the area.

A visit to the home of Akash Das, who had been accused of posting a religious insult on Facebook, revealed that the house was locked and unoccupied. The steel door had been damaged and various belongings, including a broken television, were scattered in the yard.

Relatives revealed that Akash's father works in Oman, and that only three family members resided in the house: Akash, his mother, and his older brother. Akash's brother is a first-year university student, while Akash himself is studying at the higher secondary level at Dowarabazar Degree College.

Nearby, the homes of Akash’s cousins also showed signs of damage. There was an eerie silence surrounding these houses, with broken household items strewn across the premises. Even the house next door had been vandalised, indicating the significant extent of destruction that had occurred.

At this point, Dowarabazar Upazila executive officer (UNO) Meher Nigar Tanu arrived in the area, bringing rice for Akash's family. However, as no one was home, she left the rice with Manik Lal Das.

Manik Lal explained that Akash's uncle, Proful Das, had taken the family to Satkhira for safety.

Similar destruction was evident at several other houses, including those of Birendra Das and Bijon Das. A family temple had also been desecrated.

While walking through the village, shops along the roads were seen to have been damaged, and in the local market, the shutters of Hindu-owned shops had been broken.

In the Dowarabazar Upazila centre, both the central Loknath temple and nearby homes had their windows smashed, and the temple itself had been ransacked.

'FLEEING TO THE FORESTS AND WETLANDS'

"I was at the market. When I returned home in the evening, I saw the officer-in-charge (OC) [of the local police station] and several other people gathered. We didn’t know what had happened. They told us the incident was related to Akash and asked us to bring him in. Eventually, Akash was brought before the OC, who started checking his phone," Manik Lal Das, Akash's cousin, recalled.

"At that moment, we heard shouting from the streets. The OC then took Akash and left. The OC did his best to protect him -- if it weren't for his intervention, Akash might not have been saved. Soon after, 300 to 400 people gathered and began vandalising and looting homes. People were everywhere. Even the house next door was attacked. We had no choice but to leave our homes and seek refuge in the forest. We locked up our house and fled, fearing for our lives."

Manik Lal continued: “Later that night, when we returned, we found the locks broken. Everything was taken -- our belongings, gold, money, even our clothes. The drawers had been broken open, and everything was gone. By morning, there was nothing left in the house, not even food.”

Krisna Das, another villager, shared his experience, saying: “My house is empty. Everything has been looted. We weren’t at home, so we weren’t attacked. Our children are staying elsewhere. How can we return? Most houses in our village have been vandalised.”

Similar scenes of destruction were witnessed at several nearby homes, including Birendra Das's. Birendra said, "Around 8:30pm, a large group of people suddenly surrounded our house. Hearing the sounds of breaking furniture, I quickly escaped out the back and fled to the wetlands. They took everything -- our belongings -- and even vandalised our temple. We returned home around 12:30am.”

“Before this, the army had reassured us that nothing else would happen and promised us safety. My brother, who was sick, was treated by the army. He had been unwell for some time, and the mob had pushed him. They also looted the money we had saved in our temple. We had stored about one and a half mounds of rice, but they took all of it. They even took three chairs from the house.”

Birendra continued: “That night, everyone in my house fled for safety. Only a few of us stayed behind. Everyone, including the women, had to leave because the village was no longer safe. Our village has around 100 homes, and 60 to 70 of them were damaged.”

Nearby, Bijon Das's house also suffered similar destruction. "A large group of people attacked us suddenly. They vandalised our house, set it on fire, and looted everything -- gold, money -- everything was taken. We could do nothing but stand there, stunned. They surrounded us but didn’t physically harm us. They also destroyed our family temple."

Bijon added that nearly 1,000 of his chickens were looted from his farm, their feed burned, and even the children’s schoolhouse was vandalised. About 70 homes in the village faced similar attacks.

"Including my brother’s family, there are about 30 members in our family. Last night, everyone -- especially the women -- left for safety. Now, only the two of us remain in the house, and everything -- our roof, grain and belongings -- has been taken."

SHELTER IN MUSLIM HOMES

Monglargaon village is home to over a hundred families, with only two Muslim families among them. The rest of the population is Hindu. The neighbouring village, Nonigaon, also has a majority Hindu population, though there are a few Muslim families. For many years, Hindus and Muslims in both villages have lived together peacefully.

Mohammad Ruhul Mia, a resident of Nonigaon, recounted, “Around 11:30pm, I returned home to find that eight to 10 neighbouring families had taken shelter in our house. They stayed with us the entire night, and everything was fine.”

“We’ve been coexisting, Hindus and Muslims, for many years. Suddenly, outsiders came and began vandalising and looting. One person made a mistake, and now many people are suffering the consequences.”

Ruhul Mia, who works in a shop in the Upazila centre, added, “Before heading home, I was at the market. Since the owner of my shop is Hindu, I was concerned it might be targeted. After closing the shop and returning home, I heard that the shop’s shutter had been damaged.”

“The boy [Akash] involved in this was well-known to us. He was a quiet person who always stepped calmly, even when passing by us.”

Gopika Ranjan Chakraborty, a trader at Dowarabazar Akhra Market, said, “Around 10pm, six shop shutters were damaged. There were a lot of people and all the shops in the market were attacked.”

Khokon Roy, the general secretary of the central Loknath Temple in Dowarabazar alleged the temple was vandalised and its property looted. "The damage is estimated to be at least Tk 1.5 million. More than a hundred Hindu-owned businesses in the market were also attacked.”

“The house of the president of the Upazila Puja Udjapan Parishad, along with his family temple and 10 nearby homes, were looted. I’ve also heard reports of looting in Monglargaon and Nonigaon Purbo Haat in the Upazila.”

HINDU LEADERS APPEAL FOR PEACE

On Wednesday, leaders from the district Puja Udjapan Parishad, or Puja Celebration Council, and the Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Unity Council visited the affected areas. They spoke with the impacted families and local residents, urging everyone to stay calm.

In the evening, Bimal Banik, the general secretary of the local Puja Celebration Council, said, "Nearly a hundred homes, including businesses and temples, have been affected in Monglargaon and Dowarabad Sadar. The president of our council, Biman Kanti Das, has informed the police superintendent about the situation and requested increased security to maintain peace."

WHAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS SAYING

While many villagers and victims reported widespread attacks and vandalism, Sunamganj Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Ileas Mia downplayed the scale of the damage, saying that only a few homes were impacted.

"There were attacks on Akash’s house and one of his neighbours, as well as two shops. Some furniture at the Loknath Temple was also damaged. But that's about it -- nothing more significant happened."

When asked about reports of attacks on around 70 homes, the official denied the claims, saying there was no truth to them.

"The SP and I walked across the town, from one end to the other. We spoke to many people. Most families we met were still at home. If so many families had been attacked, there would have been casualties. But no one was hospitalised, and no one even needed first aid."

On the extent of vandalism and looting, Dowarabazar UNO Meher Nigar Tanu said, "We haven't calculated the exact figures yet, but some vandalism did occur."

SECURITY MEASURES AND LOCAL SENTIMENTS

During a meeting with Monglargaon villagers in the afternoon, Maj Md Al Jabir Asif reassured them army personnel would ensure their security. "You are safe here. We have set up a camp. Do not listen to any provocations. Stay alert and you will not face any problems."

Despite the presence of security forces, fear and anxiety were palpable in Monglargaon. Many residents were reluctant to speak about the incident, and those who did were visibly anxious.

Although security measures had been stepped up after the attacks, many residents had not yet returned. Several homes remained locked, and only a few men were seen in the area. Many of the affected families were working to repair their homes, retrieve lost belongings, and assess the damage.

Around 9:30pm on Wednesday, DC Ileas Mia said that the situation was under control. "We stayed there until 2am. I also spoke with the UNO on Wednesday night, and he confirmed that things are now normal. The SP also assured us that everything is under control."

HOW THE INCIDENT UNFOLDED

According to several residents, business owners, and journalists from Dowarabazar Upazila Sadar, the incident began when 17-year-old Akash commented on a post by someone else on Facebook.

The comment was later labelled as religiously offensive and quickly spread across the platform. This led to growing anger among the local Muslim community, and soon, the matter became the subject of heated discussions and debates in the Upazila Sadar area.