130 arrested, thousands face charges over attacks on Ahmadiyya community in Panchagarh

The situation in the area has calmed, but law enforcers are still on patrol

Police have arrested 130 people over a spate of attacks on the Ahmadiyya community in Panchagarh last week.

Almost 10,000 people have been accused in 10 cases involving charges of arson, murder and looting surrounding an Ahmadiyya event.

SM Sirajul Huda, district superintendent of police, said on Tuesday that the tension in the town had simmered down and people were carrying on with their regular lives, but law enforcers were still on patrol.

Two cases were lodged with Boda police, who filed eight other cases as plaintiffs.

After Jummah prayers on Mar 3, hundreds gathered in small groups, sporadically clashed with police, and vandalised and torched shops during protests against the Ahmadiyya event.

Arifur Rahman, 27, son of Farman Ali from the Masjid Para area, and Jahid Hasan, 23, from the Ahmadiyya community, died in the clashes. Miscreants then spread rumours about two others from the Ahmadiyya community being slain the following night, riling up locals in the process.

It led to another clash between the angry mob and the police. Two more shops were vandalised and looted and a microbus was torched.